


A World Of Monsters

by Nerdy_Kitsune



Category: Market of Monsters - Rebecca Schaeffer
Genre: Blood and Gore, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Elemental Magic, F/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, No Smut, Other, Plot, Plot Twists, Romantic Friendship, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:40:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26916019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdy_Kitsune/pseuds/Nerdy_Kitsune
Summary: Nita is your average, sarcastic, and miserable teenage girl who lives in a world full of unnatural, odd, and mysterious beings.Nita never expected her parents to finally enroll her and her little brothers to a new school since they've been homeschooled their whole lives.But moving all the way from Toronto to Peru was not expected from them at all.Especially if that school is full of different types of unnatural teenagers.Vampires. Ghouls. Kelpies. You name it!🎆 2021 🎇
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. First Day Of Complete Hell

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

💿 Theme Song: “VITAL” By Masaaki Endoh 💿

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

* * *

I stared at the ceiling, laying down in bed with my arms crossing my chest.

The room was dark, and the only thing that slightly dimmed the room was the sun trying to seek its way through the closed curtains.

I sighed, shifting myself on my side with an arm tucked under my head.

The old-fashioned digital clock on my nightstand read the time.

**6:57 A.M.**

Three minutes away from complete hell. Translation: Three minutes away until I’m up and ready for a day in a new school.

I closed my eyes with another miserable sigh.

_Why this early do I have to get my ass up and ready for someplace I never thought I will be enrolled to?_

Sure, I was sick of the homeschool lifestyle back in Toronto.

And sure, I wanted to be somewhere more new and different.

But moving to a whole other continent and enrolling me in a place for troubled teenagers and annoying know-it-all of adults was certainly not on my bucket list.

I jumped in place, startled by the irritating sound of the alarm clock as it read **7:00 A.M.**

I groaned loudly, trying to drown out the ear-piercing noise by placing a pillow over my head.

“NITA!”

The door to my room burst open as small pairs of feet ran towards my bed.

“Nita!” A cheerful voice called my name as something bounced on top of me, “Nita! Wake up! Wake up! Time for school!”

“Miguel, leave me alone. ” I grumbled.

The pillow over my head was snatched from me, and it was used to hit me.

“Stop being so miserable and get up!” 

“Yeah!”

The curtains to the room were pulled apart, letting the sun brighten my room.

“Nicholas, ” I groaned, shielding my eyes from the sun's deadly rays, “close the curtains. ”

“Nope! Mom said to wake you up for breakfast!” He said with a toothy grin.

Miguel and Nicholas, my two younger brothers. I would never trade them for anything else in the world, but sometimes, they’re a bit of a handful.

Miguel is my ten-year-old little brother. He has hair like mines, golden-brown hair with a fair skin complexion, big black doll-like eyes that beamed at me as he snickered, noticing that my hair was in a mess with small strands sticking out.

Nicholas is my other little brother, he was older than Miguel by two years. He was paler than Miguel and I with short black shiny hair that slightly glistens amongst the sun’s light. His eyes were a gorgeous amber color that glimpse with mischief, which could’ve been easily spotted just by looking at them.

“Come on, Nita!” 

I took a deep breath and sighed for probably the hundredth time.

I sat up as if I have risen from the dead and rubbed my eyes, trying to adjust to the bright room.

“Finally!” Nicholas propped himself in the bed and laid back, his head was on my lap and his arms behind his head. “I thought you might never get up!” he grinned mischievously, “Mom said if you didn’t, I could throw a bucket of cold water with extra ice on ya’. ”

I rolled my eyes with a half-smile. “Of course she would, ” I started to mumble, “It wouldn’t be the first time, the second time she did it for fun. ”

“NITA!”

Oh boy. . .

The door to my room was slammed open by our _lovely_ mother.

“Nita!” Mom was at the door with a spatula in her hand. “You’re still in bed?!” she aggressively waved the kitchen tool around. “Get ready for school, lazy ass!” she looked at the boys, “you boys too, your breakfast is ready. ”

The two little boys scurried off the bed and ran out of my room, 

I already figured she was cooking breakfast since she was wearing an apron around her waist over her black business suit, and her black, red-streaked hair in a ponytail.

Mom has a fair skin tone and her eyes were a striking color of amber that could be mistaken as a golden color.

”Ugh, ” I hanged by head back in annoyance, “do I have to?”

She gave me a stern look and pointed the spatula at me. “Don’t give me that bull crap! You’re the one who said you wanted a bit of change, you _and_ your brothers did!”

I raised an eyebrow. “But did I ask to move to another continent for, “ I used my fingers as air quotes, “important business, ” I crossed my arms, “I don’t think so? ”

Her face slowly softened before sighing. “Look, Nita, ” she walked over to my bed and sat herself down beside me, “I just need you to work with me here, I’m practically doing you a favor. ”

“How?” I asked.

“I mean, you did ask for a better lifestyle, you didn’t want to be homeschooled anymore, I thought going to an actual school will help. ” She replied.

I furrowed my eyebrows together. “Well yeah but, it took you this long to realize that you practically trapped me in my own home, me, _and_ the boys?” I said quietly.

She dismissed the comment with a wave of her hand. “I know, I know, ” she placed a hand on top of my head and stroke my brown locks, “seeing you being so moody for the past year, I thought maybe it was time for you and your brothers to adjust to something new. ”

“Was it also because you have _personal business_ to take care of?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t only because of that last statement.

She chuckled sheepishly. “Um, yes, because of that too. ”

I couldn’t entirely blame mom or dad for the sudden change. They had other intentions about moving to Peru, but I can’t ignore the fact they were thinking of us too in the process.

_I’ll cut her some slack for now. At least she cares for our well-being._

I groaned. “Fine, I’ll negotiate. ”

She smiled. “See! You’re beginning to adapt just fine. ”

I rolled my eyes before flipping the bedsheets off me. “Whatever. ”

She stood up and head towards the door. “You better hurry up before Nicholas eats all the pancakes!" She exclaimed while heading out and closing the door behind her.

I walked over to my closet, kicking a few empty boxes out of the way, and opened it up.

“Okay, I don’t want too much attention, ” I searched through the clothes for a basic and simple attire, “I guess these will do. ”

I took out a white shirt with sleeves that stopped below my elbows and blue ankle-length jeans.

I stood in front of my full body length mirror that hung against the wall beside my closet. Taking off my pj’s and throwing them on my bed’s headboard, I looked over my figure.

Like Mother like Daughter.

As Mom said once: “Girls would kill for a body like mines”

Heh, they can have the body. It’s more of a disadvantage for me, it brings attention, and I don’t want attention.

I had an hourglass figure like my Moms, my waist is small and tiny with hips that were fully curved, a suitable C-cup for a body like mines.

_It’s too hot to wear a coat and cover up the places that would bring the most attention to._

I started to get dressed for the day.

Ever since I was at least ten-years-old, I was homeschooled. Miguel and Nicholas started long after I turned twelve. We asked not to be homeschooled anymore, or more likely caged into our place for years. It was unexpected that we moved from Canada to here.

I lastly fit on my white tennis shoes.

_Hopefully, this year won’t be a complete disaster._

* * *

“Thank goodness. I thought you locked yourself in your room or something. ”

“Oh har har. ”

I sat in the barstool close to the island in the kitchen. 

Nicholas sat in between Miguel and me, devouring the pancakes that were stacked on his plate. 

I snorted at the sight. “Pig. ”

He heard me instantly and purposely opened his mouth, showing me the chewed up pieces of his breakfast. “Blah!”

I grimaced. “Ew, gross. ”

He chuckled before going back to finish his meal.

A plate slid was slid across the island and in front of me. “Nicholas ate all the sausage, but lucky for you, there were still some pancakes left. ” Mom said across from me, untying the apron from around her waist revealing her black business suit attire.

Mom, aka Monica Siena Camilla Sanchéz, is a very powerful businesswoman. One of the reasons why she and dad decided to move us to Peru was because it was for _permanent_ business.

“We all leave in a few minutes, so make sure you eat all your breakfast, no wasting! Understood?”

“Understood!” We said in sync.

She smirked, loving the power. “Good. ”

“Ouch!”

_Shit._

“Nita?”

_Seriously? Just as I was about to eat my pancake, I cut myself with the knife?_

There was a cut against my index finger.

“You should be careful around knives, Nita. ” Mom smirked while washing her hand and drying them.

“Oh, whatever. ”

She turned around and relaxed her back against the counter.

“Go ahead and heal it, Nita, a few minutes before heading out. ”

Miguel and Nicholas watched as my finger slowly bled.

_Concentrate, Nita, it may not be a big wound but it’ll surely paralyze my finger if I don’t get this right._

I closed my eyes and concentrated, feeling new skin covering up the small cut. Bending it a few times, it works properly.

_Thank goodness, last week I barely paralyzed my whole arm._

“I wish I could do that!” Miguel exclaimed while examining my finger. 

Nicholas burped once he finished his orange juice, he patted his stomach. “You _are_ clumsy, Miguel. ” He said, grinning, in a matter-of-fact.

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!

“Are too!”

“Am! Not!”

“Liar, Liar, pants on fire!”

They were nose to nose, arguing, and bickering.

“Alright you two, ” Mom came in between the two and nuzzled their faces with hers, “enough with the bickering and finish your breakfast. ”

As I was eating, I noticed Mom’s phone silently vibrating. I looked up and saw her doing the dishes and humming to herself not hearing the small device.

I slid the phone my way and saw that it was a text from Dad.

I smiled slightly.

Dad had to stay back in Toronto. He’s a businessman who’s the boss of his own successful company. He stayed back just so he could rightfully manage it, not trusting anyone around him to take care of it while he’s away here with us.

I then started to read the texts as my face slowly turned from a smiling face to nearly looking as if I was about to barf. . .I probably was about to barf anyway.

“Okay, you two are nasty and humiliating. ”

The boys gave me a puzzled look, wondering what was I talking about.

Hearing me, Mom turned her around for a better view of me with a questioning look. “What did you—” she cut herself off, gasping, seeing me still reading the inappropriate texts her and dad has been sending.

“Give me that!” She snatched the phone right out of my hand with her cheek flushing horribly. 

“Hey, ” Nicholas spoke, “We wanna see what was gross!”

“Yeah!” Miguel spoke after.

She chuckled nervously before looking around frantically. “Uhhh, oh! Look at the time! Time for school! Go get your school bags!” she quickly dodges before shoving the phone in her pocket.

Both boys raced upstairs to their rooms, hearing their feet stomp against each step.

“Nice save. ” I mumbled sarcastically.

“That goes for you too, young lady—god, we seriously need to get you a hairdresser. ”

You can say that my hair was frizzy, curly, and a bit poofy. . .and sometimes knotty.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah yeah. ”

I walked out of the kitchen to fetch my bag.

“I’m serious! I broke my favorite hairbrush because of you!”

* * *

A sigh abrupted the comfortable silence of the car.

We were all in a black limo, riding in the back seat.

I look out of the black tinted window as different sized buildings past by every second.

Nicholas, being the dog he is, sticks his head out of the window with his tongue out. Mom didn’t seem to mind since he always does this every time we take rides around the neighborhood back in Toronto.

_I hope a fly flies into his mouth._

I snorted at the thought.

“What are you laughing about?” Mom asked while texting on her smartphone.

I dismissively shook my head. “Oh, nothing. ”

Miguel was humming to himself, reading a small book he was gifted by Dad. I’m guessing two days ago.

“Woah! The building ahead is huge!” Nicholas yelled.

_Oh, God. Hopefully, one good thing comes out of all of this._

“Is like the size of a—” Nicholas suddenly choked on something. He sat back in his seat, swallowing harshly. “I accidentally swallowed a bug!”

“Pffft!” I burst out laughing which made Nicholas glare at me. “That’s what you get for sticking your head out the window all the time you dog!”

He blew me a raspberry before pouting and crossing his arms, smacking his lips in disgust.

Mom shook her head with a small smile on her face while stroking Miguel’s hair, who was also laughing behind his book.

* * *

“Looks like we’re here. ”

The limo slowed down and stopped in front of a tall and wide building with a lot of students chatting and walking towards the school’s doors.

“Ugh, do I have to _interact_ with these people?”

Mom leaned forward in her seat, looking out of the window and getting a good view of the building, “Mmm, that’s how you make friends, yeah. ” 

“It was a rhetorical question!” 

She then kissed my forehead. “Have a good day, my little monster. ”

The driver in the front smile at the little scene behind him.

_Wait for it._

“And if someone picks on you, make sure you _**gouge** **their eyes out so they’ll never see the light of day ever again**_!” She finished that with an eerie look on her face.

Glancing back at the driver, his eyes were filled with complete horror.

The boys seemed unfazed since they’ve seen this type of thing with Mom before. Many, _many_ times.

“Mom, no. ” I bluntly spoke.

She sheepishly smiled. “Right. Now off you go!” She shooed me out of the car. “I have to go to work after I drop off your brothers. ”

All three of them waved goodbye.

“You two be good, okay!” I said to my brothers with a knowing smirk.

“We won’t!” They joked.

Mom rolled her eyes. “They will!”

Just as I turned my body towards the building—

“Oh, wait!—Nita?”

I swiveled my body around, eyebrow raised. “Yeah?”

“I have a few old friends of mine that are going to look after you throughout this year!” she shrugged her shoulders, “It’s like I’ve been telling you, you don’t need to worry!”

“And how am I suppose to figure who these _buddies_ of yours are?” I asked.

She winked at me. “Don’t worry, you’ll find out sooner or later!” she finally waved at me before rolling up the window as the limo slowly drove off into the distance.

I sighed and looked at the building behind me.

As I walked towards the entrance of the building, I notice that a small number of people looking at me.

“Is she new?”

“Duh! We’ve never seen her before have we?”

“I don’t know, this place is very big. ”

“We probably haven’t noticed her ‘til now. ”

_Kill me now. Please!_


	2. The Queen Of All Principles

“So? You just gonna let me stand here like an idiot?” I asked the two men that blocked my way to the Principles office.

As soon as I found the Principles office, these two dum-dums won’t let me go through.

The one on the left side of the door was as scrawny as a twig and was obviously not fit to be a bodyguard when he barely has any. body.

The one on the right side, in fact, was much more buff than the other. As if you had just visited the zoo and saw one of those beefy gorillas you see in those cages. 

I crossed my arms.

“You’re not going to let me in, seriously?”

No response.

“Don’t you guys talk?”

Still no response.

“I’ll give you ten bucks to let me in?”

They didn’t budge.

“Twenty?”

Still not budging.

I rolled my eyes. “Fine, you win, a hundred?”

Still nothing.

“You guys never gotten laid, have you?”

The door to the office suddenly opened as a student walked out grumbling profanities under his breath and facing towards the door with his head hung low.

“AND IF YOU EVER THINK ABOUT TRYING TO DROWN ANOTHER STUDENT IN THE SCHOOLS SWIMMING POOL EVER AGAIN, I WON’T HESITATE TO CALL INHUP AND LET THEM ESCORT YOU TO THE STATION UNDER THEIR SUPERVISION, GOT IT?!”

The student nodded. “Yes, Señora. ” He walked off at a slow pace down the hallway, a few students silently watching the dramatic scene with fear.

“Hey, ” the scrawny guy jerked his head towards the door, his voice seeping with an Italian accent, “she’s ready for you. ”

“Finally. ” I mumbled before entering the room, closing the door behind me.

. . .

“Dios, es tan molesta. Me siento mal por sus padres. ” [God, she’s so annoying. I feel bad for her parents. ]

“Sí, tener que lidiar con niño con problems de su edad es agotador. ” [Yeah, having to deal with troubled kids her age is tiring. ]

“Pequeño mocoso. ” [Little brat. ]

“Sí. [Yes. ]

* * *

I sat in a chair across from the Principal of the school.

She was a pale white woman with red-brownish wavy hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in all black with her black heeled shoes propped up on the desk.

She was looking over a few papers before her silver-white eyes looked up from the sheets to me. 

I was staring at her with a hard look. As I did, I’ve noticed a small scar on the corner of her forehead.

_Huh, I wonder where she got the scar?_

“So?” she finally spoke in a cool tone, tossing the papers aside in her desk and facing me with her hand folded, “what’s your name, kid?” she asked, smirking at me.

I raised an eyebrow at her sudden change of behavior. “Uhh, An—” she cut me off.

“Uh!—let me stop you right there!” she lifted her feet off the oak wooden desk and placed them on the floor. “Actually, I know exactly who you are, Anita Sanchéz. ”

As if she was dumb, I then asked, “Then why did you ask me for my name if you knew?”

She shrugged and placed her elbows in the desk, grinning a bit. “I wouldn’t say your name is hard to remember, but there’s a lot of girls who are named Anita here in this school, ” I continued to listen, “but I specifically remember that I only have to take care of one that goes by the name. ” She said while checking out her dark red-painted acrylic nails.

I huffed and crossed my legs and arms, leaning back into the leather office chair.

“It’s been such a long time your mother ever contacted me. ”

Eyes hooded as my eyebrows shot up. “You knew my mom?” I asked.

She snorted. “Do I know her? Ha! Of course, I do!” she laid back in her chair, arms crossed, “That crazy bitch and I use to work together in the olden days. ”

It all came together. “Ah, so you’re the old friend Mom was talking about. ” I said, not sounding so surprised.

As she spoke, she back up in her wheely chair and spun around to face a file cabinet, opening the middle draw. “I’m surprised she mentions me. ”

I look glanced away from her. “She didn’t _exactly_ mention you but, ”I looked back at her while shrugging my shoulders, “I mean, I guess in some way she did. ”

“Alright!” The women took out a single file from the cabinet before closing it. “Here’s your file!”

She opened it and read it out loud. “Anita Sanchéz, seventeen-years-old, five foot seven. . .” she trailed off mumbling to herself.

As she read over my personal file, I looked around and instantly noticed that there were four hidden cameras in different places.

One was near the bookshelves, placed between the two books and blending in with the bit of darkness the two books shaded on the camera.

One was placed in between the leaves of a snake plant in a small marble made pot, placed on the womens desk.

One was visibly seen in the top left corner of the ceiling.

And the last was in an essential wired mesh trashcan piled below a bunch of shredded paper.

“What’s with all the weirdly hidden cameras?” I asked, still looking at the last camera.

She huffed through her nose and folded the file closed. “Safety reasons, ” she turned to me with a cheek pressed against her knuckles and elbow on the desk, “to make sure that no one will do something they might regret. ”

I raised an eyebrow with interest. “Like?”

“Well, I figured you figured out that for me being a Principle here is just an undercover job. ” 

I nodded. “Yeah, as soon I found out your one of Mom’s friends. ”

She folded her hand together while narrowing her eyes at me. “So you know what _business_ your Mom takes care of during the night, do you?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Not technically, but yeah, she keeps a few things to herself. ” 

She huffed with a knowing look. “Yeah, your mother is pretty secretive, ” she brushed off the topic, “anyway, like I was saying, people from our business sometimes come here wanting a little chat. ”

“What does _that_ got to do with regretting anything?” I asked in a tiresome tone.

“These people can say things that will bring themselves to INHUP and end up dead. ” 

“Oh. Blackmail. ” 

“Yep. ”

“And these people are wanted too because they work day and night in the illegal Mercado De La Muerte, the Death Market. ”

She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she spoke. “Some students here could be easily influenced by folks who work in the death market, just because those people gain a lot of money from it. ”

“The death market is all the way in the amazon, how come students here think they could easily make money off of anything if they’re here and not there?” I asked.

“Going on the dark.net is one way, but as you can see, ” she gestured towards the cameras, “there aren’t only cameras here in this office, but also around the school, this place has high security. ”

I only hummed in response.

“You also don’t have to worry about you and your Mom since you’re both an unspecified species. ”

I looked away. “Yeah, I know the media and stuff, especially INHUP, has been bashing us with questions since. . .” I paused much to the women’s amusement. “. . .since my grandmother sorta—”

“—revealed the family secret and whatnot. ” She finished in her own words.

I stared at her. “Yeah, I never knew much about her. Dad or mom never mentioned anything about her. I’m a bit surprised by the media or whatever still has no clue about me and mom’s abilities. They’ll go to complete measures sometimes. ” I said thoughtfully.

“Hm. Well, don’t worry Nita. I’ll make sure nobody, not even the students here in the school, will bother and or harm you in any way. ” She assured.

I gave her a small smile. “Thanks. ”

“Welcome. Now, ” she gave me a sit my note with a few numbers on it and a sheet of paper that was technically my school schedule, “there’s your locker combination and school schedule, your first class ends in a few, so I’ll right you note for why you’re late. ”

I rolled my eyes. “Wow, the first day of school and I’m already late for my first class. ”

She chuckled. “I’ll call your mother later and tell her it’s my fault. Now of you go. ”

“Thanks. ” 

I got up from my chair and head towards the door with my school bag in my back. Before I even touched the handle—

“Oh, ” I looked back, “I didn’t get your name. ”

She smirked. “I go by Señora Reyes around here. ”

“Well, _Señora_ , I’m off. ” 

“Oh! And if anyone gives you any trouble, don’t be afraid to report to me!” she called out.

“Yes, Señora. ” I mockingly replied while rolling my eyes.

I exited the office and saw the same two men from earlier, still standing by the door.

“See ya’ knuckleheads. ” 

As I walked down the hallway, I stopped. “Oh, and one more thing, ” I turned around with a deadly glare that if only looks could kill, these two will be six feet underground, “next time you talk behind my back, think twice because if you do. . .no tengo miedo de sacarte los ojos, usarlos como collar, cortarte las pollas, meterte las dos en la garganta y clavarte la cabeza en la puerta de mi habitación para advertir a los demás que no me follen. Pendejos. ”

Their eyes almost popped out of their sockets and they stiffened with their eyes filled with complete shock and fear.

I walked down the hallway to my first class.

_I just wanna get through the day without any dramatic shit happening to me._

_. . .but I guess the universe just didn’t want that, did it?_


	3. Like Mother, Like Daughter

_Unnatural History, Room 101._

I stood still in front of the classroom door, not sure if I just barge in or knock first.

I’ve never interacted with any other being in my life aside from Mom, Dad, Nicholas, and Miguel.

Señora Reyes was someone who knew my Mom, but that doesn’t mean I have to fully trust her because of that, I don’t know this woman on a personal level.

_Why am I so worried? All because I don’t like others looking, staring, and talking about me? Fuck it! I can just sit at the back of the classroom._

Me being me, I decided to just barge in.

I abruptly opened the door to the room, bracing for many eyes to flick their view to me.

The classroom went quiet once I walked in and closed the door with a heel of my foot.

The room was pretty spacious, like one of those classrooms you see in colleges.

“And you are?” someone asked.

I looked to the side and saw an adult behind a desk with a book in his arms. 

He had blonde hair with dull-looking blue eyes and pale skin.

_These people really need some sun to relax in. So pale you can practically call them ghosts._

“Um, ”I looked ahead towards the class, “I’m new. My name's Anita, Anita Sanchéz. ”

He flinched at the mention if my name.

_Is he another one of Mom's friends? Eh, possibly, Reyes would’ve probably told him about me, or would she?_

“Well, Miss. Sanchéz, you’re late. ” He said sternly.

I held up the pass Reyes gave me. “I have a pass from Señora Reyes. ”

He sighed. “Alright then, we don’t have that much time left for you since you’re late” I looked around trying to find a seat at the back of the class, “you can sit wherever, and if you have the books that are required for this class, turn to page 257. ” He instructed.

Thankfully found a seat at the back and walked up the steps of the arranged desks.

I sat myself down at the very top of the classroom in the first desk of the left side of the room beside a girl.

I took out the books my Mom bought me a while back and turn to the assigned page.

“We were currently going over the unit about the infamous unnatural creature, the werewolf, a being that is rarely ever seen unlike their so-called enemies, the vampire. ”

I groaned quietly in annoyance.

_It’s irritating that I have to sit through class and listen to things I’ve already—_

“—it has been said that on every full moon, the werewolf turns into a ruthless beast that kills anything that dares to challenge it or get in its way. ”

_Excuse me._

I looked through the passage and found the **false** fact about werewolves.

_What the. . .what kind of bull crap are they teaching these people!_

As a girl who wants to be a researcher and learn about unnatural beings, I read lots of old books that tell you the myths, legends, and true facts about unnaturals. I’m a very curious girl, but as my Mom says sometimes: “Curiosity kills the cat” but that only made me more curious, so I’ll take the risk.

“Um, Mr. Boulder?” I called.

He stopped reading and looked up at me. “Yes, Miss. Sanchéz?” he replied.

“Do you actually believe the bull crap it says here in this book?” I asked bluntly.

He raised an eyebrow as a few gasps and whispers abrupted the room.

“If I did, Miss. Sanchéz, then I wouldn’t be teaching you students such ludicrous nonsense. ”

I crossed my arms and legs and laid back in my seat. “Whatever this book is telling you about werewolves, it’s telling you straight up shit. ”

His eyebrow twitched in irritation as the whispering continues.

“Ooo, she is so asking for it. ”

“Yea, no one dares to speak to the teacher like that, especially if it’s Mr. Boulder. ”

“Shutup! I wanna hear what he’s about to say!”

Boulder stood quiet before speaking, “Then, tell me why, _Miss. Sanchéz_ , does this book gives us false information about werewolves?” he asked.

“You tell me, _Mr. Boulder,_ why you still believe what's on the screen instead of reading what’s in the _actual_ books and read of the books they make these days?” I mockingly asked with a slight grin.

He flinched in surprise and anger from my vulgar tone and slick question.

“The people who make those movies with werewolves in them and how they use that cliche fact where werewolves turn on the night of the full moon is a bit overrated. ”

He raised an eyebrow in slight interest. “How so?”

“Because they just don’t. They can only transform when they have the urge to kill, if they’re hungry and if their inexperienced, it’s practically based on if they get angry or if they starve themselves for a few months. ”

Again, the students started to whisper.

Geez, enough with the whispering.

“It’s kinda sad people still believe what’s on tv instead of reading about it in the old books they still have in the libraries, and the part where they say werewolves become ruthless and murderous is not true, at first they would unless their inexperienced, and they’ll only behave a bit psychotically on the full moon, but nothing too serious like murder and stuff. ”

He hummed and closed the book before placing it on his desk. “I’m impressed you know so much about a simple creature like werewolves. ” He said with grinning, you can almost see a vein popping and pushing vigorously on his forehead, like a tic mark.

I smirked. “I’m impressed that you’re not one of those know-it-all types teachers who think they know everything, ” his face look triggered, and yet he still smiled, “that’s a compliment by the way. ”

Before he could even speak, the bell to the school rung, and the students instantly got up from their seats and rushed out of the classroom.

I blended in with the crowd with a victory smile and out of the classroom.

“Heh, like mother, like daughter. Never get’s old. ”

* * *

Humming to himself, Boulder walked down the hallway to Reyes’ office.

He saw the two men like he usually does, that guarded the door.

“Jorge, Renzo, nice to see you two again. ” He greeted.

Renzo, the scrawny one, greeted Boulder first. “Hello, Boulder, it’s also nice to see you—”

Jorge, the buffy one, cut Renzo off, “—but why are you here? You rarely ever come by the office unless it’s an emergency. ”

Boulder shrugged with a grin on his face. “It’s actually about a student. ”

They both gave him a questioning look. “A student?” Renzo started as his Italian accent slipped as he talked, “Usually, you would just send a student here after calling Señora herself. ”

“Mm, you can say this student has been cryptically informed about before, I’m just wondering. ” He said while rubbing his chin.

“Well, Señora is talking to a teacher on the phone, ” Jorge said while jerking his thumb, “it will probably take her awhile, that woman is like a dragon breathing fire in there. ”

Now that it was pointed out, Boulder can hear the screams and yells from the other side of the door.

“Ah, I see, I’ll wait it out. ” He said sitting in the chairs beside the office door.

* * *

“For the last fucking time, Mr. Gordon, just because these students say they fought out of self-defense does not mean they actually did. Send these students to my office at once or else your fired!” Reyes yelled at the office phone before slamming it back in the handle.

A knock on the door—

“Who is it?!”

Yeesh, nevermind.

Boulder opened the door holding up his hands in surrender. “I come in peace. ”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh shut up. ”

Boulder hopped on the polished oak desk and crossed his legs. “Was that Mr. Gordon on the phone I assume?” he asked.

She groaned. “Yes, that man really needs to stop letting his students walk over him just because they’re supernatural teenage kids. ”

“Hm, wouldn’t blame him, he is new here, and a human. ” He said shrugging.

“Whatever, ” she dismissed, “anyway, what’re you doing here, you almost never come to the office?” she asked.

He hummed. “It’s about a student of mines. ”

He didn’t notice but Reyes smirk, knowingly. “Is that so?”

Hearing the tone of her voice, he turned to her with a questionable look. “Is she. . .” he trailed off.

“The eldest child of Enrique and Monica Sanchéz? Yes, obviously. ” Reyes finished while spinning around slightly in her chair.

He placed his hands behind him and his head hang back. “Ugh! No wonder she such a smartass. ”

Reyes snorted. “What? Did something happen in your class? Did she embarrassed or something?” Reyes asked, poking Boulder on the side.

Boulder glared at her, seeing her giving him a knowing and teasingly smile. “I rather not say, ” he placed an elbow on his knee, stroking his chin, “she has the looks of her father, but the witch-like personality of her mother. ”

“Haha! Yea, she’s a cold-hearted young girl, I like her. ”

Boulder rolled his eyes up to the heavens. “Well of course _you_ like her, that’s how you and the black witch became partners in crime. ”

“Hey, along with you and Enrique! It was always a competition between us men and women for whoever captures the most monsters. ” 

The blonde-haired man smirked. “Yeah, those were the good ole’ days, until—”

He was interrupted by knocking.

“Uh, Señora, ” Renzo’s head popped in the room, “two students are here to see you, Rico Peruvian and Jerome Kingston. ”

“Tell them to wait for a bit. ” She said nonchalantly while waving her hand.

He nodded and closed the door.

She sighed. “I know we won’t be able to look after Anita 24/7, soo. . .” she took out her smartphone and started to dial a phone number, hearing the small beeps.

“I’m guessing you’re calling—”

“Yep!” she cut him off, putting the phone to her ear as it ranged.

“Well, then, I’ll take my leave. ” Boulder said while hopping off the desk and walking towards the door. 

As she watched Boulder leave without a goodbye.

_“Hello?”_

“Hey, where are you?”

_“I’m in study hall with the others. Why?”_

“I need you to do something for me. ”

A tired sigh was heard through the phone. _“What is it?”_

She raised an eyebrow. “You sound tired, you haven’t eaten?”

_“No, Henry hasn’t fed me since last month. ”_

She sighed through her nose. “That man is always so irresponsible of you, ” she muttered, “maybe I have someone for you to feed off of, I’ll check. ”

_“That’s awfully kind of you. ”_

“Well, someone has to raise you properly. But anyway, yeah, I have a task for you. I need you to watch over someone. ” 

_“Who specifically?”_

“An old friend of mine’s daughter. ”

The voice groaned. _“Is she a spoiled rich kid or something?”_

She chuckled. “No, don’t worry, she’s pretty chill. Her mother promised me to look after her, but I can’t while I’m here in the office working. I need eyes from the outside. ”

_“Alright then, what’s her name?”_

“Anita, Anita Sanchéz, I’ll send you a photo of her and her location. ”

_“Location? Why not send me her schedule?”_

Reyes laid back in her chair. “Her Mom told me she implanted a tracker on her phone, you can track her on your phone and see where she goes during study hall. ”

_“This is gonna be tiring, following someone around all day for the rest of the year. ”_

“Oh hush, you don’t have to watch her all the time, I have my days off. ”

_“Okay, I’ll do it. ”_

Reyes smirked. “You never had a choice to do so. ”

_“Riiight. ”_

The phone called ended.


	4. The Boy With The Grey-Blue Eyes

“Hey? You okay?” I asked, looking back at the boy who looked at me with fright, seeing the scene in front of him.

Three guys laying on the ground in pain, with bloody faces and broken bones.

My knuckles were painted with spotted blood from all the punching, and my clothes were covered in dirt and a few ripped patches on my jeans.

The boy didn’t reply, not did he broke the intense stare I gave off.

His hair was short and disheveled from the beating these boys were giving him earlier.

His use to be fair skin complexion is now slightly covered with dry and fresh blood, a few bruises and cuts here and there.

And a noticeable beauty mark under the corner of his left eye.

I didn’t say anything, and neither did he.

He stared into my gold-brown eyes.

And I stared into his mesmerizing, lively grey-blue ones.

* * *

**An Hour Earlier**

.

.

.

**Miguel: 😄 Nita! I’m at lunch right now! I’m having the best time!**

**Nicholas: 😃 Me too! 🍖 The food here is great!**

I smiled at the texts.

The boys and I made a group chat to make sure to check up on each other, both with their location on.

**Me: 🐺 You dog, eating all the food before other kids would, typical 🐷**

**Nicholas: 🥺 You meanie! You have to cut me some slack! The food here is better than Mom’s overcooked meatloaf!**

**Miguel: 🤢🤮**

**Me: 😷 Alright, I’ll give you that one, I’ll leave you alone. . .for now 😈**

**Nicholas: 😩 Noooo!**

**Miguel: 😂**

**Me: 😼 Sleep with one eye open tonight**

**Nicholas: 🙀 NOOOO! STOP IT NITA!**

**Miguel: 🤣🤣🤣**

I smiled at the silly texts and emoji’s they were sending me.

The class hasn’t started yet since the teacher was late, so every student started to chill and chat with others while I sat alone on my phone, chatting with the boys.

The classroom looked like classrooms you see in universities—this place must have a high budget or something.

Before I could even type in a single word, someone close by me spoke.

“Hey there, chica. ”

I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling, hoping this stranger is not calling me, _chica._

“Hey?”

Someone bent down to my level, tilting their body down to meet me eye to eye.

I rolled my eyes and went back to my phone, seeing the depressed worried and emoji faces Nicholas was sending in the chat, me not texting back.

“Hey, chica—”

“Go away. ” I briefly spoke, not even having the tensions to look at the guy.

“Oh ho ho! We got ourselves a feisty one, boys!” 

Two other dudes stood behind me, their shadows casting over me, hearing them snicker and cackle.

I tried to pay attention to my phone since it buzzed from the texts Nicholas and Miguel have sent.

“She’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, so many things to look at?”

I narrowed my eyes at the guy in front of me and smacked my teeth.

“Look, we’re not here to bother you or anything—”

“—then get the hell away from me, your entire existence bothers me. ” I dejected before going back onto my phone, texting the boys a ‘TTYL’ text.

“Ooo. Okay then, ” he placed his arms on my desk, and now our eyes were aligned with each other, “I just want to get to know you, chica. ”

I looked over the guy.

If I was a normal, average, preppy, naive schoolgirl, I would say he was quite handsome.

He called me chica, probably somewhere where they speak Spanish, not entirely sure.

I enhanced my sense of hearing, hearing the whispers from the girls on the other side of the classroom.

“Is Kaleb talking to that girl?”

“She seems dull and aloof. ”

“Why is he interested in her for anyway?”

“She’s fresh meat, duh! The new girl, remember?!”

“I wish I was fresh meat, I wouldn’t mind getting hit on by Kaleb~”

_Oh._

I looked at—Kaleb, who smiled at me foolishly trying to seduce me with a “flirtatious smile”.

_So, he’s the school’s fuck boy._

“You have really pretty hair, looks soft too~” He complimented me as he failed a piece of my hair between his two fingers.

I smacked his hand away in disgust, not knowing how many girls he’s probably messed with, with that hand.

“How about you cut the crap with that nice boy facade you got goin’ on?” I dismissed his flirty advances and went back to my phone, instantly seeing a text Mom sent me two minutes ago.

He looked surprised at first before he stood up properly with a mischievously grin on his face.

“Well, aren’t you interesting?” he said with amusement.

“She’s not as dumb or naive as others. ”

I grinned with a hint of irritation while waving my hand at them to go away.

“Thanks for the compliment, now how about all three of you keep your dicks in your pants and leave me the hell alone. ”

“. . . . .I like her. ”

I groaned in defeat, yanking my body back dramatically.

_Oh mighty Zeus, if you’re real, strike these assholes with a lightning bolt or something!_

Even though no lightning bolt was sent down, it was as if God answered instead when the teacher frantically hurried himself in with a bunch of books and a bag with him.

A bunch of students silently groan.

“Sorry that I’m late, class! There was an emergency at home. ” He informed us while he set up his belongings on his desk.

_Finally._

“We’ll meet again, chica. ” Kaleb said before him and his posse went to their assigned seats.

I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time.

_Like hell we are, you little shit._

“Miss. Sánchez? Is she here?” The teacher called my name.

I raised my hand. “Here. ”

He nodded. “Ah, right. Okay, mmm, ” he looked around the classroom before he called out the next name, “Mr. Tacunan?”

The classroom was silent, no one spoke out.

You can practically hear a pencil drop—

“I’m here!”

All eyes including mine immediately shot towards the door to see a young man panting and sweating from the running he probably did.

“Ah, Mr. Tacunan, you’re just in time for roll call. ” The teacher said.

The boy wore a cap on his head, the flap shadowing his facial features which I couldn’t make out.

“That’s good to hear. ” He muttered before walking towards his seat, holding the flap of the cap down, so no one would see his face.

I heard a few snickers from a few seats behind me but didn’t have the tensions to look.

“Alright, Mr. Tacunan, take your seat, please. ”

It is so likely to happen that this boy walked up the stairs the desks settled on and in the desk next to mine.

He sat in the seat beside me and didn’t say a word after.

“Uh, Mr. Tacunan, please, no hats in the building. ”

The boy flinched before he shrunk in his seat and his hands balled up into fists.

“I..I can’t. ” He mumbled.

I raised an eyebrow, glancing towards the boy.

“Mr. Tacunan, please respect the school’s rules, no hats in the building. Take it off, please. ”

. . .

The boy slowly reached the flap of the cap and slowly took it off with trembling hands.

As soon as he took off the hat, the class started to whisper and murmur amongst themselves.

I lowered my eyelids, my eyes hooded from the sight of the boy’s face.

A noticeable, huge black eye was adorned on his face. His left cheek was swollen and almost looked red, like a cherry—weird comparison, I know.

“Did he get beaten again?”

“I’m surprised he doesn’t have a bodyguard with him. ”

“No wonder he’s always so quiet. ”

“That’s enough!” The teacher shushed the student, pushing up his glasses before looking towards the boy. “Mr. Tacunan would you—”

“No! I’m fine!” He cut the teacher off with an unsteady smile. “I don’t need to go to the nurse’s office. ”

I furrowed my eyes together, side-glancing him, trying to figure him out as if he was an unsolvable puzzle.

“Little rich boy, Tacunan, ” hearing that, the boy started to shake in his seat from fear, “can’t wait ‘til playtime. ”

I didn’t even have to turn around to figure who’s voice that was.

_Ah, those dickheads._

_Figures._

* * *

Study Hall.

An hour to myself and other students.

I was just walking around the school, trying to get used to this place.

I was outside, deciding to get some fresh air out near the track field where people ran down the long tracks.

The coach blew the whistle, that ear-piercing whistle that annoys me and probably other students so much.

I relaxed on the bleachers, my arms behind me on the bench above me, and my head laid against the seat with my eyes closed.

I sighed through my nose, finding the sound of the coach yelling and whistling weirdly soothing.

. . .

. . .

. . .

“GAH—”

My eyes shot open from the sudden sound before I turned my head to the side, and noticed a few figures going to the back of the bleachers.

I was having a constant fight in my head whether or not should I get involved.

_Shit, but I already saw it. I’ll be a witness to bullying or whatever. That’s how it works right?_

“Aww! Little rich boy Tacunan!”

I perked up at the name.

“Ready to play with us?”

_Okay, that sounded creepy, but the voice sounded familiar._

I decided to see what was going on and hopped off the bleachers casually, walking around it to the back.

I turned a corner to look around and immediately my eyes caught something from afar.

A kick in the stomach and the boy was coughing out blood.

The attacker hissed in pleasure from the blow.

“Having our little play toy to feed our hunger, sss. ”

Kaleb shivered from every hit he gave along with two of his comrades.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

_So, he’s a fuckboy and bully._

I’ve been noticing Kaleb and his crew of idiots shivering from every punch and kicks he was giving the boy, shivering from complete pleasure.

_Oh shit, he’s a Zannie, isn’t he?_

Zannies. An unnatural that can draw their energy from others’ pain, whether if the pain has been inflicted by the unnatural itself, or by the victim.

“Y’ know, you’re lucky you get to sit beside chica for the rest of the year, ” Kaleb muttered to the boy, stepping on his head, “she’s less stupid like those other girls who thought they had a chance with me, I mean seriously?”

I nodded in agreement.

“Hmm, maybe we should kick this up a notch, right, boys?” 

He chuckled before flicking out box cutters—

“Hold ‘em up!”

They held him up by his arms as the boy’s body limped.

He grabbed the boy’s chin and their eyes met.

“I’ve had this little thing for a while now, ” Kaleb held up the box critters and the boy's eyes widen as tear’s prick the corner of his eyes, “I was excited to use it on you, haven’t eaten since this morning. ”

“No! Please—ack!”

He tightened his grip on the boy’s cheeks, making him open his mouth from the slight pain.

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

_Do not tell me I have to play the hero in this._

Kaleb’s eyes widen with excitement.

Tears strolled down the boy’s face before he closed his eyes, waiting for the instant pain in his mouth—

“Hey!”

All the boys turned around from my sudden call.

I was holding my phone up, recording them.

“Oh hey, it’s chica from class. ” Kaleb smiled sadistically towards me, lowering his weapon.

“Hey, is she. . .”

“Recording us?”

“Duh, you assholes, are you blind or something?” I asked as if they were dumb, even though they probably are.

Kaleb brushed his hair back with his hand, grinning. “Aww, chica, don’t be like that. ”

He tried to walk cautiously towards me, box cutter in his hand.

Still recording, I casually spoke. “Kick the box cutters to the side. ”

He stopped in his tracks, looking surprised for a second before smirking.

He did what he was told, dropping the box cutters on the grass and kicking it far away to the side.

Tacunan coughed up blood again, staining the bright green grass.

“Chica, we were just having fun. ” He tried to persuade me, slowly walking towards me again.

I stood my ground, my phone recording ever second his movements.

“Do you do this to him only?” I asked monotonously.

Coming closer, Kaleb shrugged his shoulders, and replied, “No, not only him, him, and a few other kids in the grade lower than me. ”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

_He’s confessing so easily, knowing that I’m recording him, and I could immediately expose him if I run to Señora’s office._

I flicked my eyes towards his hands and enhanced my eyesight.

“Oh, chica, ” 

I looked up and saw him standing a few feet away from me.

“if only you were just as dumb as the other girls, we wouldn’t have this predicament between us, we could’ve been—”

“Look, let me dumb it down to your level, ” I shot him a death glare in finality, “you break a girls heart for your satisfaction and pleasure, physically and emotionally, and the fact that you think girls are these type of creatures you can control and manipulate to do your selfish desires is—”

He cut me off. “Disgusting? Terrifying? Cruel?—”

“Common. ”

His eyes widen from my answer.

I shrugged my shoulders off, ignoring the look of shock on his face. “It’s common for us beings to do such things, especially teenagers, so you’re no different, or special. ”

A small grin played its way onto my face.

“but believe me motherfucker, when I say this, ” my grin free wider, and chuckled, “you and your peers are low-lives who are at the bottom of this world's food-chain. ”

His eyes widened like saucers, like as if I have figured him out.

“You are nothing but shit, get that through your thick skulls. ”

Silence filled the air, and only the whispers of the wind blew against our ears.

He balled up his hands into fists and gritted his teeth, his face scrunching from anger.

I smiled satisfyingly. “I mean, if I _was_ interested, I wouldn’t be such a bitch if could get **it** up. ”

His friends looked as if they stopped breathing.

“Yeah, ” I got up close to his face, “I’ve heard rumors. ”

“YOU BITCH!”

He swiftly pulled out a pair of scissors and charged towards me with the sharp tool.

I watched as he did, placing a foot behind me.

As soon as he lifted his hand in the air to stab me—

_Oof. This guy must be asking for a death wish._

I grinned.

_Couldn’t blame him_

* * *

**Present Time**

“Uh? Y-Yes!—Well, no—”

I saved the video on my phone.

“You don’t have to answer, you’re scared of me, I get it. ” I said while dusting off some dirt from my shirt and pants.

He shook his head and waves his hands in front of him. “N-No! I’m not scared! I. . .”

I brushed off some dirt from my sleeves as I listened to him talk.

“Thank you. ”

I stopped what I was doing and looked back at him with a blank look.

He genuinely smiled at me. “Is there any way that I can repay you?”

“Nah, you don’t have to really. ”

“Um, are you sure?”

Before I could answer and decline his generous offer, the sound of a twig snapping instantly caught my attention.

The way I was facing is where I heard it—

“Fabricio. ”

I turned back around towards the boy who made himself conformable on the ground, his legs criss-cross.

“What?”

“My name is Fabricio Tacunan. ” He greeted before smiling at me. 

“Hm, nice to meet you, I guess. ”

I stuck out my hand for him to grab which he did, he slowly stood on his two feet while holding his stomach.

“So, ” he glanced back towards the three boys feet away from us, “did you. . .” he trailed off, looking at me thinking of the worst-case scenario.

“I wish I could, but, ” I shrugged my shoulders, “no, I didn’t kill them, only knocked them out. ”

He smiled gratefully. “Thank you again, um. ” He stopped at mid-sentence, waiting for me to say my name.

Should I say my name? Or just walk away as a total stranger would? 

“. . .Anita, but I usually go by Nita. ”

“Nita, ” his smile never faltered, “thanks again. ”

I sighed. “Stop thanking me, ” I crossed my arms, “you better be glad I was able to help you or your tongue would’ve been long gone by now. ”

He chuckled unsteadily. “Yeah—sss!” He hissed in pain, holding his stomach and his arm.

I just watched him, thinking to myself with an unsure look.

_Do I seriously have to help him to the infirmary?_

“Geez, ” I found my arm wrapping itself around his waist, holding him up, barely, “you’re not gonna be able to make it to the infirmity in this state. ”

“I-I don’t want to be a burden to you. ”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s just go. ”

“But, what about the—”

“Don’t worry about them, ” I grinned, “I’m sure the coach would love to explain to their parents how their beloved children were beaten to the pulp by some random stranger. ”

As we walked back towards the field, I didn’t notice Fabricio glance behind him for a second before facing forward again.

* * *

A mysterious figure hid behind the corner of the building, dangling a switchblade swiftly between their fingers.


	5. Under Those Scars, There Is A Lost and Broken Boy

“God, how much longer do we have to sit here?” I asked out of boredom, once again scrolling through the phone noticing all the texts the boys sent in the chat.

Fabricio and I were in the infirmary, waiting for the nurse to come and help him with his wounds.

We both sat on a hospital bed, waiting patiently for the nurse to arrive.

I sat on the edge of the bed, Fabricio laid back and relaxed on the bed behind me.

Fabricio hummed. “I’m sure the nurse will come soon, she doesn’t always just stay here and aid injured students. ”

I sighed and looked back at my phone.

“Whatever you say. ”

He stared at the ceiling, trying not to fall asleep, and rested his eyes.

It was silent throughout the minutes of sitting around and waiting before I broke the comfortable silence.

“How long has this been going on?”

“With Kaleb?”

I rolled my eyes. “What else?”

He didn’t speak for a minute before he slowly sat up in a sitting position, holding his stomach as he did.

He hummed, piercing his lips together as he thinks. “Mmm, almost a year now. ”

“And you never told anybody? Not even friends or family?”

He chuckled and started to scratch his ear. “Family is out of the question, but friends, yes, I do have them. ”

I looked up at the ceiling. “But you never told them, I’m assuming. ”

He shook his head. “No, I didn’t want to be a burden, they already have problems of their own to deal with. ”

I stared him down, eyebrows scrunched together before turning looking down at my phone.

“You don’t want to be a burden so yet you let people like Kaleb screw with you. ” I muttered.

His shoulders slouch and he frowned. “Well—”

“You have a bulls-eye planted on your back letting them know you’re an open target. ”

He flinched from the stern tone of my voice.

“Do you not trust your friends enough to share your burdens with theirs?”

He stiffened from the question, starting at me with wide eyes before taking interest into looking at his folded hands.

“You’re better off without friends than with them if you’re not going to share your issues of what’s been happening. ”

He looked at me, his expression bitter.

I matched his expression. “Tell me if I’m wrong. ” 

Slowly, his expression softened and a sigh escaped through his lips.

“Well, my friends aren’t that clueless about my situation. ”

“Oh. So they’re just shitty friends who don’t give a single fuck about you? That explains it. ”

He immediately whipped his body around and frowned at me. “No! I just. . .” he paused, thinking over his choice of words, “tell them I have the situation under control. ”

“Heh, you have a smart way of showing that. ” I muttered.

He ignored my comment and continued to ask. “Is it so wrong to wanting to protect them from people like Kaleb?”

I hummed, thinking of myself.

“I mean no but, either your _friends_ will feel guilty you didn't tell them straightforwardly about it because of their sake, or they’ll get mad that you don’t trust them or have faith in them enough that they can help you as much as they can. ”

He didn’t say anything after but only laid back on the bed, an arm over his eyes.

“Pretend you’re in their shoes, how would you feel if one of them was in the situation you’re in right now?”

He still didn’t reply.

“. . .”

“Got nothing to say, huh?”

“. . .”

I sighed, not doing anything for a second before hopping off the bed.

“Take off your shirt. ”

**Processing. . .**

**Ding!**

“What?”

I looked at him, arms crossed. “I said, shirt off. ”

I walked towards the cabinets and drawers opening every single one to find something to help him with his wounds.

“B-But, why?” He asked nervously, stuttering in the process, noticing at the corner of my eye his cheeks growing a bright red.

I found an unopened bag of cotton balls and rubbing alcohol in a drawer.

“To help you with those cuts and bruises of yours. ” I simply answered.

“Y-You don’t have to—”

“Look, this nurse is taking her sweet ass time to get here, ” I said with irritation, opening a cabinet finding a first aid kit, “so, I’ll be taking care of you, so we can get the hell out of here. ”

I brought the stuff back to the bed and placed them beside the boy.

He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, watching me.

I opened the kit and grabbed a bandage wrap from it.

“Now, take off your shirt, ” I looked at him under my eyelashes, “or do I have to do it for you?”

The blush on his face grew across his face as he frantically waved his hands in front of me.

“N-No! I got it!” He said, dismissing me with a wave of his hand and an unsteady smile on his face, chuckling sheepishly.

* * *

“What’s up with your face?” I asked, his face still red from earlier.

“What do you mean?” He asked as he looked away trying to hide his red face. 

I wrapped his waist around with a bandage, covering up the fresh cuts and bruises.

“Is it because I’m a girl?”

“No!”

I looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

He glanced the other way. “Maybe. ”

I crossed my arms.

He sighed in defeat. “Okay, fine, yeah. ”

“So what?” I went back to the kit beside him and took out a patch bandage. “It’s not like we’re doing anything inappropriate. ”

“I know but, ”

What he said next, took me by surprise for a second.

“you’re a. . .very pretty girl. ”

I stopped shuffling through the kit and looked at him.

“I’m pretty, that’s why?” I asked, puzzled.

He nodded, not trusting his voice, his face growing a dark red.

I thought it over the compliment, placing a finger under my chin and glancing up at the ceiling.

“Huh, I’ve never been called pretty or ever been complimented. Ever. ” I said in thought, looking at the flustered boy.

“Really?”

I took a patch bandage out from the kit and peeled off the paper from under the patch and threw it back in the kit.

“So, what?” I grabbed his cheek with my hand which made him flinch from the gentle touch and placed the bandage on his swollen cheek. “You have a crush on me or something?” I asked casually.

“N-No!” He shook his head. “No, I don’t, but, I would like to get to know you. ”

“Oh, is that so?” I replied, not convinced by the offer, closing the first aid kit.

Noticing my unconvinced tone, he grabbed my forearm and exclaimed, “I do mean it! You’re new, and you don’t seem to have many friends. ”

I blankly stared at him. “I don’t need friends, they disappoint me. ”

He sweatdropped, chuckling sheepishly at my monotonous reply. “Well, believe me, my friends and I aren’t exactly normal like other teenagers here. ”

He let go of my forearm as I head my way back to the cabinets with the kit, the cotton balls, and the alcohol with me.

“Everybody here, even for those who aren’t unnatural, is a being with disturbing tendencies of their nature, we may look like a normal high school with normal students who act as irrational as the teens you see in high school films, but I can tell this school has its body count. ”

He raised an eyebrow confusingly at me. “Meaning?”

“Meaning, nobody is normal here. We all have our odd and peculiar secrets and habits. ” 

I closed the cabinet door and turned around facing him. “But also, it sounds like you’re inviting me to something I probably won’t like. ” 

“Yes! I want to invite you to sit with me and a couple of friends of mine at lunch!” He exclaimed with a hopeful smile on his face.

I leaned back against the counter, elbows promoting me up from behind. “And why exactly?”

He started to swing his legs back and forth. “As I said before, I want to get to know you. ”

I stared him down, narrowing my eyes at him suspiciously. “Is there a catch?”

He shook his head. “Of course not, it’s just a friendly offer. ”

I didn’t say or do anything after but sighed as my shoulders slouch.

“Alright then, I’ll meet these friends of yours. ”

He grinned, showing off his pearly white happily. “That’s good to hear!—”

“Um, excuse me?”

We both looked towards the door to see an adult at the door, a lady looking at both of us confusingly.

“Why are you two in my office?”

I looked at her. “Your office? So you’re the nurse?”

She nodded. “Yes, that is correct. ”

I nudged myself off the counter and walked over to Fabricio as I spoke to the adult. “Well, Nurse, we were both waiting for you because we had one of us injured. ”

She examined Fabricio, noticing the bandages and patches on his face and body.

“Yes, I can see that, but the thing is. .the infirmary was closed for today, I only come back here because I forgot to lock the door before I left the office yesterday. ”

Fabricio and I looked at her incredulously.

“What?”

She looked around, ignoring our disbelief looks. “Yes, there should be a—Oh! There it is!”

She picked up a sign that was behind the door and held it up for us to read.

**‘I am sorry, but the infirmary is closed for today. Please come back tomorrow for treatment. Thank you and have a nice day’**

She gave us an apologetic smile.

“I am so sorry, it seems that I must have knocked it down since I was in a complete hurry yesterday. ”

“So you’re telling us we’ve been waiting here for two whole hours, practically skipped a few classes, for nobody?” I briefly asked.

“Um, most likely. ” She replied, fearfully looking away from my sharp stare.

. . .

“Well, I’ll be damned. ”

* * *

. . .

“I don’t get it. ”

“Get what?”

“Why do I have to look after her, she seems to know how to take of herself?” 

A young man in his early twenties sat in the chair in front of Reyes’ desk, dangling a switchblade between his fingers.

Reyes’ looked over a few papers, roaming around the office filing and shredding documents.

“It’s like I said before, Kovit, I need someone from the outside to look after her. ” She replied, not having the tensions to look at the young man.

Kovit looked at Reyes’, underage shadowing his eyes, looking exhausted.

“After what I just told you? About how she beat the crap out of Kaleb and his posse. ”

Her eyes scanned through the alphabetical files in the file draw behind her desk. “She may be ruthless and knows how to defend herself, but still, it’s what her Mother wishes. ”

“It seems pointless. ”

“Motherly instincts, I call it. ”

Before he could speak, she beat him to it. “I mean, when you were little boy up to this day as a grown man, I still have a tracker on you, ” 

He opened his mouth to question her.

“obviously, not telling you where. ”

He closed his mouth and frowned at her.

“I do the same, —well, apparently I did— whether it’s pointless or not. ”

He stared at her, sighing before hanging his head back against the neck of the chair.

His eyes were closed, but he could easily hear the footsteps coming towards him and behind him.

He opened his eyes to see Reyes, upside down in his view.

“How about a game of poker? You know, like old times?”

He didn’t say a word after but smirked.


	6. Meeting New People Will Be Fun They Say, Call It Bullshit

“Hello!” The lunch lady smiled at us as she held a notepad and pen. “Have you decided what you would like to eat, or no lunch?”

I looked at the menu before replying, “I’ll have the [Lomo Saltado](https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tLP1TcwKijMTTM1YHRg8OLMyc_NV0jLz08BAFuYB24&q=lomo+food&oq=lom&aqs=chrome.1.69i59j46i39j69i57j46i433i457j0i433.2530j0j9&client=ms-android-americamovil-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#sbfbu=1&pi=lomo%20food), please. ”

“Drink?”

“Sprite. ”

Fabricio already decided on his lunch of the day. “Can I have the [Albondigas](https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-americamovil-us-revc&bih=592&biw=360&hl=en&sxsrf=ALeKk039a3WGzIyBiFcsbE49KOpvPG91ew%3A1604393763155&ei=IxuhX7fwCIKztAa0gbn4DA&q=albondigas&oq=albondigas&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBAgjECcyBAgjECcyDQguELEDEIMBEBQQhwIyCAguELEDEIMBMgUIABCxAzICCAAyAggAMgUIABCxAzoECAAQRzoKCAAQsQMQFBCHAlDXD1jdGWCTHWgAcAF4AIABygSIAf8JkgEHMC41LjUtMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp), please, with an ice tea?”

The lady nodded and smiled. “Your lunches will be here in approximately ten minutes. ”

“Thank you. ” We both said before she walked away.

_Damn, how I’m glad that the food here is free._

I looked around the area.

Fabricio and I waited in the cafeteria, which is known as [the Cafe](https://images.app.goo.gl/DxaBQYaqvbnGHEuD8), for his friends to arrive.

As we waited, I was able to look around, impressed by the area’s luxurious features.

We sat at a booth instead of the tables they had at the other side of the room. 

At the end of the countertop of the booth sat a simple set of napkin dispensers, salt and pepper shakers, and a menu to choose our lunch.

I sat on one side as Fabricio sat in the other.

“It feels like I’m in a restaurant instead of a cafeteria for high school students. ”

“Well, this school _is_ wealthy for its discipline and grade standards here, one of the top schools in Peru. ”

“Really?”

“Yes, but, ” he frowns, “there are also rumors about the school. ”

“What kind of rumors?” I asked, suddenly interested.

“Mm, ” he looked a bit disturbed, “that the school is associated with the Black Market. ”

Hearing that, I remembered the conversation I had with Reyes’ about people from the Black Market.

“Do you believe it?”

He opened his mouth to speak before closing it, then answering, “Well, maybe, but, that’s only because of some students that tried to work with black marketers in the dark.net. ”

_The Dark.net. So students **have** tried to work work with the Black Market. From what Reyes’ said, it was for money. Idiots. _

It seems like that conversation was over since now, Fabricio is looking over his phone.

He huffed and set down it on the table. “They still haven’t texted back. ” 

“Your friends? They’re not coming?” 

“They should be, they would never skip out on lunch. ”

I didn’t respond.

“The Lomo Saltado was a good choice?” Fabricio spoke, starting another conversation, “I know there are a lot of delicious meals here in the school. ” 

I didn’t say anything but huffed through my nose.

“If you wanna ask questions, go ahead. ”

He looked at me slightly surprised before giving me a closed eye smile. “What makes you think I want to ask questions now? The others aren’t here yet. ”

I shrugged. “Why wait? Seems like your friends aren’t coming anytime soon, and we only have twenty-five minutes of lunch. ”

“Mm, ” his shifted somewhere else in the cafeteria, avoiding my eyes, “I would rather wait for the others to come. ”

“Why?”

He didn’t reply but shamefully looked down at his hands in his lap.

I then understood.

“You’re nervous?” he looked at me, the look in his eyes confirming my prediction, I sighed, “Look, I’m sure they’ll understand, maybe they’ll be a little mad, but in the end will understand. ”

“Well, it’s partially that. ”

“Partially?”

He fidgeted with his fingers timidly. “As I said before, they had their suspicions, and if they find out they were right and I didn’t tell them, they’re going to be disappointed. ”

“Well obviously. ”

He whined. T^T. “You’re not helping!”

-_-. “Well yeah, but, are they the type of people to leave you and let you fend for yourself?”

He thought for a second before shaking his head as a ‘No’.

I relaxed against the red leather booth and slouched a little. “Then you have nothing to worry about, think about the future after that, it’ll all be over soon, and as soon as it is, keep living life. ”

He looked uncertain and yet he smiled at me. “Hm, thank you, you’re a nice person to talk to. ”

I snorted. “Heh, believe me, I’m not nice. ”

“And yet you helped me throughout our time together, that makes you a little bit nice, right?”

I shrugged. “No, you were just lucky enough that I was there, ” I turned my head the other way, “you’re not special, stop acting like you are, it’s annoying. ”

Instead of reacting the way I thought he would react, he flashed me a small smile.

He chuckled. “Whatever you say, Nita. ”

* * *

“Oh, man! I can-not believe Mrs. Winfrey held us back in class!”

“Yeah, and all because someone stole her glasses!”

“Which were on her head the whole time!”

“Hopefully Fabricio and his friend are still there, and he said it’s a girl!”

“Less talking, more running! Mamas hungry!”

* * *

_Dammit, where did that lady say the straws were?_

I looked around the station where the drinks and other stuff were.

_Napkins. Cup lids—aha!_

I finally found the straws as I grabbed two of them for me and Fabricio.

“Good lord, I hope my lunch isn’t cold once I get back?”

As I walked back to Fabricio and I’s booth, I stopped in my tracks noticing two girls surrounding Fabricio, one of them holding onto his face.

“Fabricio! What happened?” I heard one of them say, worryingly, “Did Kaleb did this to you?!”

I walked closer to them both and crossed my arms, tapping my foot against the ground since the other girl was blocking my way where my lunch was.

“M-Miwewa! Please wet go of ma fash!” Fabricio’s words were sounding gibberish due to the girl squishing his cheeks together and making his lips pucker like a fish.

“Ahem. ”

Both girls turned around and finally noticed me standing behind them.

“Ohmygod!”

Before I could even react, one of the girls instantly hugged me by the waist excitingly.

“You must be the new girl Fabricio was talking about!” she let go of me and took my hand, shaking it promptly, “it’s so nice to meet you! I’m Mirella!”

“It’s nice to meet you too, I guess. ”

“Oh! And this is. . .!” 

She grabbed the other girl by the shoulders who looked at me all flustered.

She slightly waved at me with a small and sheepish smile.

“Uh, hi, I’m Diana—”

“And you, ” Mirella cut her off, “must be Nita. ”

“Uh, yeah. ”

She smiled brightly at me. “Well, I would like to say thank you for helping our Fabricio, ” she glanced back with a steel glare, “even though we’re going to talk later. ” She muttered.

Fabricio chuckled nervously with an unsteady grin.

“Ack!”

“How could you!”

She started to strangle him, comically if I may add, with an upsetting look.

“How could you not tell us about Kaleb or the people that’s been hurting you! I would’ve kicked their asses already if you would’ve told me!”

”Mirella!” 

Diana tried to pry the girl's hands away from Fabricio’s neck.

“Stop strangling him he’s already hurt!”

As I watched the scene in front of me, I thought to myself.

_You know, maybe he wasn’t afraid of losing his friends._

I watched as Diana struggled a bit from Mirella’s wrath towards Fabricio.

_He was afraid of this girl almost choke slamming him for it._

_Classic._

* * *

“Thank you so much Nita for taking care of our precious boy while we were away!”

Mirella caressed Fabricio’s head against her chest, smothering him.

“Mirella, please let me go. ”

“Shh! I’m talking. ”

Diana sat beside me eating her lunch happily as I picked at mines with pure boredom.

“Uh, yeah, wasn’t my intentions to but, ” I shrugged my shoulders, “whatever. ”

I ate my lunch without saying another word, letting Mirella do all the talking.

Mirella was an odd-looking girl. I’m not calling her ugly or anything, but I’ve never seen people like her.

She had long pink shiny hair, her eyes the same glimmer of color, and peculiar grey looking skin. 

The description of it sounds familiar though.

_I wonder what type of unnatural is she._

As Mirella talked and talked and talked while hugging Fabricio as a mother would with her child, Fabricio interrupted her.

“Um, Mirella, where’s Kovit?”

She stopped what she was saying and thought for a second.

“Mm, I think he said he had something to do, ” she placed her hands on her hips, letting go of Fabricio, “I _tried_ texting and calling him but he’s probably ignoring them on purpose like he always does!”

Diana burp beside me, which I didn’t mind since Nicholas is my brother, and patted her stomach.

“Phew, excuse me, I haven’t had lunch all day, ” she then looked at the rest of us, “but yeah, he had something to do, so he probably won’t make it. ”

“That stupid zannie always have something to do. ” Mirella grumbled. “But enough about that!”

She looked at Fabricio who shrunk with fear and smacked him across the head.

“You’re not off the hook buddy!”

He didn’t say anything else, his face covered with worry.

Maybe I should let him do it himself, he needs to know how to rely on himself sometimes.

“I, uh, ” I stood up from my seat, trying to make up an excuse, “have to go to the bathroom. ”

Hearing that, Fabricio shoot me an anxious look.

“Fabricio has something he wants to talk to you guys about by the way. ”

He jolted from the mention of that and liked at me as if I’ve gone crazy.

“As friends, you should listen and hear him out about it. ”

I gave him a reassuring thumbs-up, seeming to relieve him a bit, and also went unnoticed by Diana and Mirella who gave me a puzzled look before their eyes were cast towards Fabricio.

“Fabricio, what is she talking about?”

“Is there something we should be worried about?”

Diana let me out from inside the booth and I stood, stretching my arms out before walking away.

“Um, well. . .”

* * *

I turned on the faucet and the running cold water instantly hit my hands.

I washed my hands for a minute before turning it off and drying my hands with the paper towels that were on the bathroom wall.

_Fabricio better have said at least one thing we talked about back in the infirmary, if not, then all that talking about a shitty friendship was for nothing._

I walked out of the girl’s bathroom and down the empty deserted hallway to the Cafe. 

_My paranoia is coming back. Why do I have the feeling someone is going to come up behind me and kill at the very moment?_

Too absent-minded, I didn’t notice the sounds of a pair of feet walking a safe distance behind me.

_Is that me? It could be me._

I stopped walking and looked behind me, seeing no one but a piece of paper flying smoothly across the hallways, like a tube weed you see randomly sometimes in those cowboy movies.

“Anyone there?” I asked, knowing damn well I won’t get an answer.

_I’m such a dumbass sometimes._

I continued walking.

A few seconds later, I heard the distant footsteps again.

This time, I didn’t stop walking and walked around a corner of another hallway and waited.

I heard them come closer and closer until I saw a glimpse of someone just about to walk the corner and grabbed their clothes, enhancing the strength in my muscular system to body slam the person to the ground.

“FUCK!”

As the stranger groaned in pain, curling on the ground muttering a string of curse words, I grab my gun from the back of my pants and pointed it at the person.

“Get the hell up, bastard!”

Now that I could see the person better, it was a young man, assuming he was in his early twenties.

“Heh, telling me to get up from the person who painfully body slammed me on my back—”

“Only to let your guard down! So shut the hell up and get up! Unless you want a quick and messy bullet to the head. ”

He looked at me before sighing and rolling his eyes, standing up.

“Arms where I can see them. ”

He smirked, raising his arms in the air. “Well aren’t you a little professional. ”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

Lanky and wiry figure. Dark, black lopsided hair with an seemingly white streak running down. Warm brown skin with thick eyelashes and eyebrows—which I’ll admit, I’m envious of since my eyebrows looked like someone placed two earthworms on my face.

“Just be glad I didn’t put you out of your misery on sight. ”

He shrugged. “Eh, I got nothing to live for anyway. ”

I furrowed my eyebrows together, glaring at him. “Explain why the hell are you following me, you creep. ”

“I come in peace, ” he claimed, making peace signs with his hands, “I’m only obligated to what I’ve been ordered to do. ”

“Which is following me?”

“Bingo. ”

“By who?”

”Señora. ”

My eyebrows shot up from the mention of Señora.

“Señora?”

He nodded. “Yeah, she ordered me to follow you to make sure you don’t get into any trouble. ”

“. . .”

He noticed my quietness and continued to talk. “Look, I can prove it by calling her, she’ll confirm it. ”

I stared at him. “Go ahead. ”

He reached for his pocket—

“Slowly. ”

He waved his hand for me, wanting me to watch his hand before he slowly reached for his pants pocket.

I had my finger on the trigger, prepared for whatever tricks he may pull.

Shuffling in his pocket for a bit before he took out a smartphone.

“Put it on speaker. ”

“Yeah yeah. ”

He dialed a number hearing the small beeps of the phone before hearing the device ring.

We both waited.

A couple of rings later a line from the other end was picked up.

“Señora. Who am I speaking to?” She asked professionally.

“Hey, Reyes. ” The guy replied.

Her tone instantly changes.

“Oh, hey you, is there something wrong?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m about to get shot in the head, ” he said casually, “just asking if that’s okay with you I mean—”

“What?!”

“Yeah, the girl that you told me to watch over is about to shoot me—”

“Who? Nita?”

Hearing my name, I lowered my gun down completely.

“Oh, nevermind, look like I’m gonna live for another day. . .sadly. ”

“Is she there? Nita?”

“Uh. ” 

I walked cautiously towards the guy and answered, “Um, right here. ”

“Nita, don’t shoot him, please. ”

“Then why the hell would you have this guy follow me around like a stalker?” 

She sighed through the phone. 

“Just. . .come by my office, both of you, after lunch, okay. ”

She ended the call with that, hearing the line go dead.

We both stood quiet.

He then ended the call and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

“So. ”

“So. ” He mimicked.

“You gonna follow me to the Cafe?”

He shrugged. “Eh, I got nothing better to do, besides, I got people there to meet. ”

I didn’t say anything else but walked back out into the open hall, him trailing right behind me.

As we walked side by side, I spoke, asking him a question.

“What’s your name anyway?”

I side-glance him and saw that annoying smirk from earlier.

“The names Kovit, ” he grinned at me, “nice to meet you. . . _Nita_. ”


	7. Skin And Bones With A Side Of Human Flesh

Walking back into the Cafe with Kovit right behind me, I headed straight towards the booth where the others were.

“So, ” I spoke between the two of us, “I’m guessing the people you’re meeting are—” 

“The idiots you’ve been sitting with, ” he cut me off before smirking, “yep. ”

“Huh, Fabricio did say earlier that he has friends who didn’t attend here in this place. ”

“Yeah, we have another friend but, he’s not here, he pretty busy somewhere else. ”

I didn’t say anything after since I saw the others happily chatted with each other, no tension between the three.

_It seems like they resolved something. Good, I did not want to be the fucking peacemaker in the group._

Mirella heard my footsteps coming close to the booth and she peeked behind her curiously.

“Nita! You’re back!” Mirella chirped, jumping out of her seat and invading my personal space by hugging me.

As she did, she spoke closely beside my ear. “You missed a lot!”

“Oh, did I?” I replied monotonously.

“Mhm!” 

Mirella was completely oblivious to Kovit passing by us and towards the booth which didn’t go unnoticed by Diana.

“Hey, Kovit!” She greeted him, waving her fork before putting it back into her mouth.

“Hey. ” He muttered before taking a seat beside Fabricio.

“Hey! Kovit!” Mirella whined as soon as she noticed Kovit in her seat. 

A flicker of light bounced off my face.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out. ”

He was playing with a switchblade dangerously on his fingers as the light from the giant windows shimmers off the blade.

“Hmph!” The pink-haired girl pouted before grabbing my forearm. “Come on Nita, we can sit beside Diana. ”

Not even daring to speak and just let the girl pull me down to the side where Diana sat.

“Woo-wee! I am stuffed!” 

Diana patted her stomach and buried lightly before drinking down her water.

_Huh, now that I’m noticing._

As Diana licked her bottom teeth, I noticed a silver piece of metal crossing her upper and bottom teeth.

I glanced at her empty trays—

Yeah, plural, this girl can eat.

—and noticed the smell of fresh meat from them.

“Diana?” I called.

She groaned, trying to sit up since she ate so much.

She huffed and finally looked at me, smiling. “Yeah, Nita?”

“You’re a ghoul, aren’t you?”

Her smiled dropped. “Oh, yeah, why?”

I placed my elbow on the table. “Just asking since I’ve noticed your retainers. ”

Mentioning her retainers, she touched them.

“Yeah, ” she sulked, “must be nice that you guys have real teeth. ”

“Especially when you’re eating human flesh. ” Mirella added, scrunching her nose from the smell of the meat.

_Huh, so I was right about the meat._

Diana noticed the curious look on my face, so she leaned over Mirella and started to whisper.

“You wanna know where they for the meat from?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Since you’re whispering, I’m guessing it’s a school’s secret. ”

“Uh, yes, ” Fabricio spoke in turn, “this school is associated with INHUP and the police. ”

“The police?”

“Yep, the police. ”

“Why exactly?”

He started to scratch the back of his head.

“Well, the meat Diana just ate is human flesh as you can see, and that human flesh comes from the police department, ”

I stared at him, closely listening.

“in which if a murder case happens. ”

“They feed you the dead bodies?”

“Not all!” Diana butt in. “If the bodies are like, not opted for a funeral—”

“—or if the body is not important, ” Kovit spoke, eyes closed, “as of a nobody, someone who’s homeless or was known to be a complete dick as of a successful billionaire. ”

Mirella added on to the conversation. “It’s whatever the police decide to do with it, not technically sure when or why in some cases, but those are possible possibilities for why the police give us the meat for the ghouls here at school. ”

_So they’re practically eating the evidence from murder cases the police find it hard to solve. Way to make your problems disappear. Pfft!_

Before anyone else can speak, the bell of the school can't loudly throughout the area.

On cue, every student in the room started to head out the door of the room.

“Ugh! Do I really _have_ to go back to class?” Diana complained.

“It’s okay, Diana, this is the last class of the day anyway, we have gym next. ”

“That makes it even worse, Mirella!”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have eaten so much food. ” I said, placing my tray on the small tables where other trays were.

“But it was so good though!”

As both Mirella and Fabricio tried to reassure the small girl, I stood back with Kovit walking beside me.

“You know we have to go to Señora’s office, right?” 

“Nope, ” he held up his phone, his text messages being shown to me, “she texted me about fifteen minutes ago saying to go to your last class. ”

“And why exactly?”

All of us exited out of the cafeteria and den the hall with other students.

“Uhh. . .”

* * *

“Ha! Pay up motherfuckers!”

Reyes’ played her cards on the desk.

Lorenzo, Jorge, and Boulder were seated in front of her, cards in their hands.

They all groaned, throwing their cards on the desk as Reyes gathered all the piled money on the desk.

“Every time. ” 

“I bet if Kovit was here, she wouldn’t be such a sore winner. ”

“Bet. ”

“Ah cut the crap you three! Not my fault you’re such sore losers. ”

“We didn’t even want to play in the first place. ” Boulder muttered, arms crossed.

“But she just had to tie our feet together against the chair legs. ” Jorge said, rolling his eyes.

“Hey, ” she shrugged, “I needed money for the vending machine outside. ”

Lorenzo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure you did. ”

* * *

“Uhhh. . .it was an emergency. ”

“Huh. ”

“You guys!” Mirella calls from upfront. “Come on, we’re going to gym!”

“Are. . .you going to keep following me like a stalker?”

He grinned slightly. “I’m gonna have to—”

“Nita!”

I was being pulled by Mirella and dragged up to the front of the group, walking in between Diana and Mirella. 

“You’re coming with us right?!”

“I guess, gym is my next class anyway. ”

“Well, ” Diana spoke, “at least you get to suffer with us!” 

“Uh-huh! To the auditorium!” 

They both once again dragged me towards our destination to the gym.

Fabricio smiled at the three of us as he and Kovit, who shook his head towards the girls, held back, walking through the crowd of students.

_Am I going to be hanging around these people from now?_

_Possibly._

_Do I mind?_

_Eh, probably._

_Does it feel good hanging around people who don’t judge you whether you’re a major bitch or not?_

My arms were linked with both girls as they chatted non-stop.

I smirked.

_Heh, yeah, maybe._


	8. A World Of Monsters - End Of Part One

“Nita!”

Miguel jumped in my arms while Nicholas took a ride on my leg.

Mom texted awhile ago wanting me to pick up Nicholas and Miguel since she was gonna be late from work.

Little kids from the school ran out the doors in a hurry, a line of cars waiting for them as the school grounds were now crowded.

“We missed you!” They said with the saddest yet cutest looks on their face.

I chuckled. “I missed you too. Did you have fun in school?”

“Yes!”

We walked—I walked ourselves to the car with Miguel in my arms and Nicholas riding on my leg to the limo.

“Is Mommy here?” Miguel asked as I placed him in the back seat, scooting himself so there was room for us.

“No, she’s gonna be late for work, she’ll come once it’s bedtime for you two. ”

Nicholas let go of my leg and jumped in the car holding onto his book bag.

I hopped in after them and closed the door, signaling the driver to go.

“Ha! We got the place to ourselves!” Nicholas exclaimed excitingly.

“Yeah!”

The boy’s high-five.

I gently smiled at them before looking out of the window.

I blocked out the conversation they had and reminisce about the conversation I had hours ago.

** Hours earlier. . . **

“So, what do you think?”

“Think of what?”

Kovit and I were currently relaxing on the bleachers, watching as other students ran down the red tracks doing their laps.

The others, as in Mirella, Fabricio, and Diana, were finishing up their laps.

Diana was the only one who looked like she was about to pass out, or maybe even throwback up the amounts of food she ate during lunch.

Mirella was just irritated by the coaches yelling as they pass by every time and was just about to throw hands before Fabricio stopped her on cue.

I stared at the three for a few seconds before shrugging. “They seem okay. ”

Kovit side-glanced me before continuing to dangle his switchblade on his fingers.

“You seem like the person to start breaking necks. ”

I rolled my eyes at the assumption.

“I know how to keep my cool around people like Mirella and Diana, I mean, I have brothers who are like that, so I’m used to it. ”

He stopped what he was doing and he looked at me, eyebrow raised. “You have brothers?”

I didn’t say anything, hoping I’m not giving off any weaknesses to someone I barely know.

He works for Reyes’ who is supposed to look after me, it doesn’t mean I have to trust him entirely.

. . .

”. . .Yeah, I do, two younger brothers. ”

“How old are they?”

I furrowed my eyebrows together and shot him a stern look. “Someone is nosey. ”  
“

He grinned at me cheekily. “What? I can’t have a get-to-know-you conversation?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. 

“Oh, you must be the keep-it-to-myself type. ”

An annoyed look was plastered onto my face, closing my eyes. “Well, what do you expect, you’re a grown-ass man following an underage seventeen-year-old girl in the shadows like a freak-ish creep. ”

He stopped twirling his blade for a second with a shit eating grin on his face. “Ouch, you made it sound like I’m a fucking pedophile, or rapist, or a pervert or something. ”

I smirked. “Maybe you are, who knows. ”

He stopped twirling his switchblade and tightly held the handle of it, and slightly glared at me with an offended look.

“I’m not even _one_ of those things. ”

I rolled my eyes playfully. “Sure you aren’t. ” 

He rolled his eyes and laid back against the steps behind us.

We stood quiet and watched the scenes in front of us.

The others were on the other side of the field far away, just walking and talking to one another.

“By the way, what type of unnatural are you?” he asked, closing his eyes and placing an arm behind his head, bathing in the warm rays of the sun.

“Isn’t it a bit rude of you to ask someone what they are? So inconsiderate. ” 

He smacked his teeth. 

“I know you know what I am. ”

I tapped my chin, feigning confusion.

“Do I?”

“Yeah, Mirella has a big mouth. ”

That actually made me think.

_**“That stupid zannie always have something to do. ” Mirella grumbled.** _

“Oh yeah, now I remember. She called you stupid. ”

“Yeah, she sorta has a dislike ness towards me, all because I’m a so-called heartless, anti-social, son of a bitch. ”

I weirdly looked at him, surprised by the choice of words.

“She really said that?”

“Yeah, technically. ”

“Oof. You’re really exposing her aren’t ya’. ”

”I don’t apparently like her either, so bossy and annoying. ”

“Then why do you hang out with them, technically her?”

He stood quiet for a moment and sighed.

“I have business with Fabricio. ”

Now that piqued my interest out of the conversation.

I swiveled my body towards him.

“What business?”

“Mmm, I would say family business, but I don’t want you to think we’re related. It’s more of his family and my family working together and stuff. ”

I opened my mouth to further the topic but decided to close it since it’s probably going to end up with me having to sill some of my family secrets.

I lifted my leg on the step and placed my chin on my knee. 

“You still haven’t told me what you are. ”

I didn’t look at him any other way but looked ahead.

I could feel him peeking at me for an answer.

“I’m an unknown species. ”

Hearing that, he sat up from the bleachers and leaned into his knees with a curious grin.

“Really?”

“Yep. ”

“Any abilities?”

“Yeah. One. ”

“What is it?”

“Kenya. ”

“Kenya?”

“Yeah, ken-ya get out of my fucking business and stop being so goddamn nosey you lousy, perverted creep. ”

He held up his hands in surrender.

“Well, damn, you’re one with words, and I am not a pervert. Creep, yes, perverted, no. ”

“Oh, so you admit you’re a bit of a creep. ”

“Yes, most people find me creepy since I’m fucked up in the head. ”

“Psycho. ”

“Exactly. ”

“Cute. ”

“Ri—wait what?”

I snickered. “I find it cute, especially that creepy-ass smile you did awhile back. ”

He slightly glared at me, taking offensive of the comment. “Cute? What the hell is that?”

“You—”

“No! I find that _highly_ offensive. ”

I laughed. “Pft! Puh-lease, I’ve seen the most oddest and weirdest things throughout my seventeen years on this earth, you’re no different. ”

His eyes glinted with annoyance and irritation.

“Aww, did I make the wittle zannie mad, ” I cooed, then laughed in his face, “ha! fuck off. ”

“Tsk! Hate that word. ”

He leaned back onto the bleachers again, arms crossed and eyes closed, twiddling with his switchblade.

“Fuck?”

“No, zannie. ”

“Really?”

He nodded.

“But, I am what I am from what other people see me as, ”

“And that is?”

“a monster. ”

“Do you like being called a monster?”

“I could care less, I like being me, I like hurting people. ”

I stared at him with no emotion before looking up into the blue clouded sky, thinking.

”You like being you, I get it. ”

I smiled to myself. “Heh, I like being me, too, and the things that I do which is why I don’t like to interact with people as you can probably tell. ”

“And yet, you can easily talk to me, and I’m just a stranger to you. ” He dejected.

“Yeah, I can, can I. ” I casually said, looking at him.

We both stared at each other, not saying a word.

. . .

“Yeah, you can. ” He genuinely smiled at me before sitting back, staying quiet for the rest of the class period.

“Hey, guys! We’re done with our laps, finally!”

I heard Mirella’s voice from afar as I noticed her, and Diana who was clinging to Fabricio for support, striding towards us.

I closely looked at Fabricio, a gentle smile on his face as he helped Diana make sure not to collapse completely on the ground.

I pierced my lips together.

_You little shit, don’t tell me you had something do with this._

_I was minding my fucking business until you came along._

_What the hell did you do to me, suddenly I’m. . ._

I shuddered.

_. . .interacting with people._

**Back to the Present**

“Nita! We’re home!”

I was called back into reality when Miguel and Nicholas rushed out of the car and towards the doors of the hotel.

“Wait for me you two!”

“Slowpoke!”

“Last one to the elevator is a rotten egg!”

“Little cheats. ” I muttered, getting out of the vehicle and towards the doors of the gigantic building.

* * *

We were in our penthouse, on the couch watching TV.

The boys and I were in our pajamas, they were in their reindeer Christmas onesies from last year while I was just in a sports bra and matching short shorts.

It was almost midnight, past the boys’ bedtime—oops—and we were all eating junk food, watching ‘Wreck-It-Ralph’.

Then suddenly, the little boys started to yawn exhaustingly.

“Uh oh, time for bed. ”

They shook their heads. 

“No!”

“We don’t wanna go to bed!”

“Come on, you were supposed to go to bed hours ago. ”

I picked Miguel who was almost fast asleep.

He snuggled against my chest and soft snores abrupt from his lips.

Nicholas pouted and crossed his arms. “I’m not going to bed. ”

I rolled my eyes at his stubbornness.

Then, the sound of the penthouse door opened, a voice booming through the area.

“I’m home! Nita?”

“In here!” 

I patted Miguel’s back, swaying from side to side as he slept.

Mom came into the room with her purse and keys.

“God, today has been so busy. ”

“Mom!”

Nicholas ran towards Mom, hugging her waist.

“Uh, Nicholas, why are you not in bed?’ she asked him and yet looking at me with an eyebrow raised.

“I don’t wanna go to bed, why can’t I stay out like you and Nita? I’m a big boy!” he asked, looking up at her with his infamous puppy dog eyes.

She caressed his black jetted hair. “Yes, you’re a big boy, and big boys need their sleep to grow up big and strong in the future. ”

“Then, can I at least get a snack for bed? ”

She glanced towards the living room and the couch that was dirtied with empty candy wrappers and chip bags.

“I think you had enough snacks for tonight. ”

“But—”

“No buts. ”

She lifted him on her hip with a grunt.

“God, you’re getting heavy. ”

“Pft, nah, you’re just getting old. ” I retorted.

“Shut it, you. ”

* * *

After putting the boys to bed, Mom and I head towards the living room to clean up.

“So, how was the first day? Make any friends?” she started, putting the empty bags in the trash bag.

I looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “ _You_ wanted _me_ to make friends?”

“Well, ” she shrugged, “I don’t want you to be anti-social forever. ”

I placed a hand on my hip. “You’re saying that yet you told me to be careful of you I meet and talk to? You know I’m a bit paranoid because of you, right?”

“I mean yeah, but, ” she smacked her teeth with a sigh, “if you want to become a researcher like you said you want to be, then your social skills have to be top-notch. ”

She strode over to the kitchen where the trash bin was, pressing on the little lever at the bottom with her foot as the latch opened up.

“You can’t always work alone, Ni Ni, ” she dropped the bag in the bin before closing it, dusting off her hands, “I say, you and your father are the same sometimes. ”

“I’m a bit of you too. ”

“I know, in personality. ”

I mimicked her actions and threw away the bag that I had full of trash. 

“I have another victim for you. ”

Everything became quiet for a moment.

“You do. ”

She turned to me with her familiar snake-like smile.

“Uh-huh, guess what I’ve captured. ”

“ _Ye-ah_ , I’m not guessing. ”

She scoffed. “You’re no fun, I’ll feel bad for the man or women you might marry in the future. ”

I rolled my eyes. “As if I’m getting married, now come on, what is it?”

She poked my nose.

“It’s something I’ve promised you, duh. ”

“Promised me?”

She nodded. ”Mm-hm. ”

I stared at her unsurely of what might happen next.

* * *

. . .

. . .

. . .

Laying on the cart, a lifeless, cold-blooded body stood still with a white blanket covering it except for the head and feet.

I closely examined it.

It was a woman in her late thirties, a few wrinkles adorned her face from aging.

Mom was on the other side of the cart the body laid on, watching me examine the boys with a wide smile on her face.

We were both in a dim-litted room that was filled with many things a single person would think is outright disturbing.

Small jars filled with liquids and also contain floating eyeballs in them.

Sharp and small tools that are covered slightly with dry blood and other oddly colored substance.

A few boxes then and there that was packed and ready to go for shipping. Not technically scary. . .unless you knew what were in them.

“What did you catch this time?”

“A pishtaco, ”

I looked at her in disbelief

“just like I promised, it was really out of pure luck, I was excited to show you since you’ve wanting to see one up close. ”

My fingers twitched, urging to cut up the body and see what wonders it hides from the inside.

“How did you kill it? Any weaknesses?” I started to ask questions, a daily routine for us.

She held up a finger. “I used a silver blade to cut off their appendage which is the tube-like they use to suck the fat from people. ”

I was still staring at the body. “Huh. ”

“Yep, I found it sucking the life out of a big man in an alleyway, the man was already dead so there was nothing I could do for him but just leave his body there. ”

“Are there any parts I should be careful with?”

I didn’t notice that she walked behind me as she placed her hands on my forearms and chin on my shoulder.

“Be careful with the eyes, they’re rare since they have no pupils. ”

I nodded. “Got it. ”

She yawned, stretching her limbs out and even hearing a few bones popping back in place.

“Welp, I’m gonna hit the hay. You can stop whenever you like, the buyer wants it in four days, so you have time to cut and pack. ”

“Alright, night, Mom. ”

She kissed my temple.

“Night, Nita. ”

She left the dim-lit room and closed the door.

I was alone with the body at last.

_Well, time to get to work._

. . .

**I’m not a good person, I know that.**

I dressed in a lab coat, placed safety goggles over my eyes, disposable gloves, and lastly, tied my hair into a poofy ponytail.

**What I’m doing is wrong, yes, but do I care, no, because I like doing this, been doing it since I was eleven years old. I’ve been taught by Mom how to since age eight.**

I rolled a cart over which displayed small, sharp utensils towards the body.

**There’s a difference between good—**

_“But also, it sounds like you’re inviting me to something I probably won’t like. ”_

_“Yes! I want to invite you to sit with me and a couple of friends of mine at lunch!” He exclaimed with a hopeful smile on his face._

**—and the bad people.**

_“I’ve had this little thing for a while now, ” Kaleb held up the box critters and the boy's eyes widen as year's prick the corner of his eyes, “I was excited to use it on you, haven’t eaten since this morning. ”_

I threw away the rest of her clothes which were only her shirt, pants, and shoes.

**But, to me, I think we’re all the same.**

_“I could care less, I like being me, I like hurting people. ”_

_I stared at him with no emotion before looking up into the blue clouded sky, thinking._

_”You like being you, I get it. ”_

_I smiled to myself. “Heh, I like being me, too, ”_

**No matter if your the nicest, purest, brightest, we have our dark secrets,**

I sliced down the milky toned skin as blood slowly pour out into small beads,

**. . .and habits.**

I cut and cut and cut, a satisfied smile was plastered on my face.

**Everyone is their own monster inside, doesn’t matter if we’re good or bad, but just the same.**

I sighed, finishing up the body finally, placing the eyes in small liquid-filled jars.

I took off my goggles and lab coat while throwing away the bloody gloves.

**A world where many things are hiding in the shadows, yet to be discovered.**

**A world where people are judged, ridiculed for what they are and what they are born as and what they are capable of, and the horrible things they can do to each other.**

I walked towards the exit of the door, yawning from lack of sleep, stretching my arms and legs.

**A world where everyone has their desires in life and has the extent to do the utmost worst yet normal case scenario the world is known for to get it: murder.**

I looked back at the room, the busted lights flickering, needing repairs, before turning off the lights and closing the door ominously.

_**A World Of Monsters.** _

_Yeah._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🥰 Finally! I’m able to finish this chapter! This one was a long one to do! Part one is finished and Part two will come sooner or later! 🤩 Thank you and have a happy early Thanksgiving! 🦃


	9. Not Even The Sun Can Outshine A Teen’s Dark Cloud

_The sound of panting and running echoed throughout the dark, and quiet streets of Peru._

_A pair of blistered feet ran down the sidewalk, hurriedly trying to run away from the yelling voices._

_“Aye, kid! Get the hell back here!”_

_Two men ran for the small figure running ahead of them._

_The young figure was a boy, holding a large, loaf of bread in his arms, making sure not to drop it._

_The men stopped in their tracks, catching their breaths before glaring ahead._

_“Go around the back?”_

_“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll try to hide, turning a certain corner, let’s go. ”_

_. . ._

_Meanwhile, the boy was catching his breath, settling in an alleyway, in a small cardboard box hidden in the shadows of the dark alley._

_“Where the hell is he?”_

_The boy’s breath hitched from the sound of the men from earlier._

_He covered his mouth and held the bread tightly._

_“I thought you said he be running around here?”_

_“He would, shit, fucking, god damn it!”_

_A string of profanities was shouted loud enough for the boy to hear._

_“That was the third useless, homeless kid this month, stealing from our shop!”_

_“Hey, we’ve got one of them though. ”_

_“Heh, yeah, ”_

_The boy risked taking a peek from inside the box, seeing the two men standing a few feets away from him._

_“called INHUP, arrested the little gremlin, and ended up killing him. ”_

_Hearing that, the boy’s body stiffened from utter shock and fright._

_“Yeah, he was on the list wasn’t he, a ghoul, right?”_

_Finally, the man sighed in defeat._

_“Shit, let’s just go, we’re dumb enough to even chase the kid knowing we didn’t lock the store. ”_

_“Yeah, we’ve got plenty of bread to make anyway, don’t act like it’s the last one in the world—”_

_“How ‘bout you shut the hell up, I already have a headache. ”_

_The sound of their footsteps, walking away out of the alley and ‘round the corner._

_The little boy waited until he heard nothing, just silence._

_He let go of the breath he didn’t notice he held in, in relief, he then started to eat the bread hungrily._

_The boy was hungry enough to almost eating half the bread._

_But, the frightening sound of running footsteps coming towards the box instantly made the boy froze in place._

_Before he knew it, he was grabbed by the hair and yanked out of the box with a painful grunt._

_“Ha! I told ya’ the lil’ shit will let his guard down once our asses were gone!”_

_“Yeah, yeah. ”_

_The two men were standing above the boy, overshadowing him._

_“So, ” one of them bend down to the boy’s eye level, the smell of tobacco instantly hit the boy’s nose, “ya’ really thought we let a little runt like you take from our bakery without paying. ”_

_Gripping onto the man’s wrists with his small hands, he wince from the pain of his scalp stinging._

_“Hey, y’know, ” the other man leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees, and examined the boy’s features, “he’s a pretty good-looking kid, maybe Maurice would like to have this one. ”_

_Eyes widening like saucers, the boy struggled more, desperately trying to get away from the two men._

_“And it seems like he almost ate half of the bread, tsk. ” The tobacco smelling man exclaimed, picking up the leftover piece of bread. “Oh well, like you said, we have many mor—OW!”_

_The boy harshly bit the man’s hand, blood staining his teeth._

_“Ya’ lil’ shit!”_

_A swift kick to the stomach and the young boy found himself clashing against the wall of a building._

_“And don’t you ever, ” kick, “steal shit, ” kick, “from our shop, ” kick, “again!”_

_Another final blow to the stomach and the boy coughed up blood, laying still on the ground._

_“Ey, man, like I said, give him to Maurice. ”_

_“Hmpf, yeah, it’ll probably teach this kid a lesson—”_

_“OI!”_

_Hearing a third voice interrupting what the men were saying and ping, the boy weakly opened his eyes, his vision blurry and the sounds around him were muffled._

_And then, his eyes slowly fluttered closed, lastly seeing two other figures appearing on sight._

* * *

━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━

💿 Theme Song: “VITAL” By Masaaki Endoh 💿

━━━━━━━━┓ ✠ ┏━━━━━━━━

* * *

I stared at my ceiling blankly, an arm behind my head and eyes widely open.

I turned my head to the side, looking at the old-fashioned digital clock on my nightstand.

**6:57 A.M.**

_Not entirely sure if I’m looking forward to this day or not._

Yesterday was. . .not what I expected. I thought if I mind my own business, stay quiet and out of sight, it will be a peaceful year for me.

**Flashback from yesterday. . .**

_“Woah!”_

_“Is this you ride?!”_

_Diana and Mirella gawked at the black limousine stopping in front of me in the drive thru._

_“Yeah, this is me. ” I replied._

_It was time to go home, the others and I waited for our rides for awhile until a familiar family limo pulled up._

_“Wait!”_

_One of them grabbed me by the arm._

_“You’re still gonna hangout with us, right? We wouldn’t mind?!”_

_I stared at her, unsure what to answer her with._

_“Um, I guess?”_

_She beamed with joy. “Great!”_

_Just as I was about to pull away from her grasp, she tightened her grip._

_“And wait!” I turned back to her, slightly getting annoyed, “after school, we would always hangout at a, ” she thought for a second, “place. ”_

_I raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously. “What kind of place?”_

_Diana then popped up behind her. “It’s an antique shop!”_

_“Antique?”_

_They both nodded._

_Mirella started to wave her hands frantically in front of me._

_“It’s not like those boring antique shops you see here in Peru! This one is special, especially the person who works there. ”_

_Diana gave her a look. “Woah, you’re that desperate?—”_

_“Sh!”_

_“Antique shop?”_

_I thought about it as I stared at the two girls, who gave me pleasing and hopeful looks._

_**I mean, I like things that are labeled as ancient and creepy looking. Antique shops have those type of things, right?** _

_I sighed. “Okay then, I’ll ask my mom if I could go. ”_

_Diana, “Awesome sauce!”_

_“Let’s exchange numbers, y’know, just if you need to tell us plans are canceled or something, ” she then muttered, “hopefully not. ”_

_. . ._

_“Bye, Nita!”_

_I looked out of the window as Diana and Mirella waved their arms in the air wildly along with Fabricio who simple waved with his hand._

_Kovit just stared, hands in his pockets as the vehicle started to drive off._

* * *

“. . .tsk, shit. ”

_I gotta ask mom, she probably won’t let me go, nope, not in a million fucking years, she’s not stupid letting her daughter go with complete strangers to a creepy shop in the streets of Peru, she’s smarter than that._

* * *

“You can go. ”

Silence filled the air.

“Pardon?”

She ate her breakfast across the island, on her phone with Dad again probably.

We were all in the kitchen eating breakfast which was just cereal.

“I said you can go. ”

_Never mind, she is that stupid._

“You’re letting your seventeen year old daughter go with a bunch of strangers to a creepy antique store in the city?”

She gave me a puzzled look, as if what she had said was not out of character at all.

“You’re saying it as if you’re surprise?”

“I am. ”

“Hey!” Miguel raised his voice, “I wanna go to a creepy antique shop!”

“Me too!” Nicholas spoke next. “They probably have those skull heads on the shelves with eyes crawling in and out with centipedes!”

Mom patted his head, slightly disgusted at the thought. “Nicholas, sweetie, we’re eating. ”

“Please, Nita! Can we go with you?” Miguel pleaded, his hands clapped together.

“Oh no you two, ” Mom interjected between the three of us, “you have homework to do. ”

They whined. “But Mommy!”

“Don’t Mommy, me, and Nicholas, ” Nicholas jumped from the call of his name, “don’t even think about eating your own homework and say a dog ate it. ” 

He snapped his fingers. “Man. ”

I was playing with my good until she called me next, “Nita, you’re allowed to go, besides, don’t you like going to creepy stores and see all the stuff they gathered from places?”

“I mean yeah—”

“Or are my parenting skills just an excuse for you to not go hangout with a bunch of other kids?”

I rolled my eyes and drastically groaned, slamming my head on the table.

Moody as so, I pictured a dark, stormy cloud above my head, raining down on me.

“Mom, can you tell Nita to stop being so miserable. ” Miguel cried.

“Yeah! She’s turning my milk sour from all the bad vibes she’s radiating. ”

Nicholas turn his bowl upside down and the use to be fresh milk, now spoiled, splat on the kitchen island making a mess.

* * *

Obviously, It wasn’t because I didn’t wanna go, the fact that Mom easily let me go without any warnings was quite shocking.

I was surprise she meant what she said last night, that she really wants me to at least make a few friends.

“We moved here for a reason, Nita, I’m giving you the freedom to make friends and talk to people. ”

We were all in our family limo on our way to school, having a simple Mom-To-Daughter conversation while the boys did there own thing beside us.

She typed and typed on her phone.

“I know, I’m just surprise you’re actually going by your word. ” I replied, looking out at the window.

“I keep my promises, don’t I?” she smiled, not taking her eyes off her phone.

“Sometimes. ”

“We’re here!” Nicholas exclaimed with his head out of the window.

On cue, the automobile stopped in front of the school, seeing students being dropped off and parking there cars in the school parking lots.

“Hey Mom?”

“Yes?” she sang.

“When am I gonna get my own car?”

“Ha!” she laughed, finally facing me, “When you learn how to drive, Missy, last time you ran into a tree. ”

I gave her look. “We were on a mission, you fucked it up, you told me to start the car and drive because you fucked it up that bad, I even told you I can’t drive but somehow you were so desperate to run away from whoever you fucked with which gave me anxiety and I lost self control of the steering wheel and ran into a tree. ”

“Huh. . . .not how I remember. ”

“Now you’re just messing with me. ”

She reached across from me, unlocked my door, and pushed it open.

“Have a good day and stop being so moody. ” she said, smiling.

“Bye, Nita!” Miguel waved as I stepped out of the car.

“See ya’ later!” Nicholas waved along with him.

“Bye. ” 

Before she closed the door, she informed me, “You have a curfew Nita, be back by five, no five ‘o one or two, five!” Then slammed the door shut.

They drove off into the distance while I stared.

_Hm, never had a curfew before since I never usually go out anywhere. Feels weird._

“Was that your Mom?” a voice beside me asked.

I rolled my eyes. “Hello to you too, Kovit, stalking me again like usual?”

The young man shrugged. “I just so happen to see you standing all by yourself alone. ”

I gave him a doubtful look. “Right, ” I them muttered under my breath, walking towards the school, “pervert. ”

He glared at me. “How many times do I have to tell you I am not a pervert. ”

“Pervertsayswhat. ”

“Wait what?—No!—goddamit!”

I smirked cheekily. “Knew it~”

“You said it to quickly. ”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, excuses. ”

“I find you very annoying right now. ”

“Feelings mutual. ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😭 Sorry for the late LATE update. I tried my best to update it on time, but didn’t know how to start off this chapter, had to reconsider in my head if I should keep this draft or write another one. 😊 But it all went well, not saying it’s my best chapter, but it all came out as good as I hope for. 
> 
> 😆 Have a great day/night!


	10. The Man With The Cheshire Grin

School went by as quickly as I thought it wouldn’t.

It was boring, dull, and unexciting.

Not that I expected anything interesting to happen, but at least a simple fight between students or more would ease my boredom.

After Kovit and I met up outside of school, he was called by Reyes’ to come to her office for some apparent reason.

Since then, I haven’t seen him, or the others.

I was currently shuffling through my locker, placing my school books in the space—

Geez, even how I narrate it in my head sounds a little boring—

“Nita!” 

I heard my name being called not so far away.

I slightly closed my locker door and the face of the Argentinian boy, Fabricio.

He smiled seeing my face. “It’s nice to see you, haven’t seen you all day. ”

He looked better compared to yesterday in the infirmary, his black eye was still adorned on his face but not as bad as it was from yesterday.

“Don’t we have our next class together?” I asked, closing my locker and locking it securely.

He nodded. “We do, with Mr. Baldwin. ”

I sighed and started walking down the hallway past other students.

Fabricio followed, walking beside me.

“Where are the others?” 

“Mirella has science this period, and Diana has physics, they’ll probably join us during study hall or lunch. ”

“Oh. ”

There was an awkward silence, neither of us spoke or even wanted to speak for that matter.

“Has Kaleb been messing around with you today?”

The boy happily shook his head. “Nope! He’s actually suspended since someone sent a video of him and us yesterday. ”

_Oh yeah, the video I anonymously sent to Reyes’. I wonder how she punished them in her office, would’ve love to see that._

“Are your wounds fine?”

He nodded. “Yes, they are, ” he smiled brightly with appreciation, “thank you for your concern, I appreciate it. ”

“Ugh, don’t act so sincere about it, it’s weird, a simple yes or no would’ve been fine. ”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry, I’m just that type of person to do so for someone who did me justice for once. ”

“Well, a ‘thank you’ is ok, but a whole speech? No thanks. ”

He chuckled sheepishly. “Right. ”

* * *

. . . twenty-eight, twenty-seven, twenty-six, twenty-five. . .

I watched as the seconds go by, the sound of Mr. Baldwin talking during his lesson was blurred out of my mind.

The only sound I heard was the sound of the clock ticking every second.

“Uh, Nita?” Fabricio whispered beside me.

“Yeah?”

“You’re staring at the clock mighty hard. ”

“I’m hungry, I need something from the vending machine outside and this class is hella’ slow. ”

. . .twelve, eleven, ten, nine. . .

“We’ll be out in a few seconds, don’t worry. ”

“I can see that. ” 

. . .five, four, three, two. . .

The sound of the bell rang and instantly, every student in the room, cutting off Mr. Baldwin’s lessons.

“Have a nice rest of the evening. ” He said with a small smile.

As both Fabricio and I walked out of the class, I stretched my arms feeling the tension in my muscles relax heavenly.

“Finally, study hall—”

The sound of our phones ring which made us stop in our tracks and automatically reaching for them in our pockets.

“It’s Mirella. ” Fabricio said, looking at the notification on his lock screen.

I read the text out loud,

**Mirella: Meet us in the school’s backyard ASAP 😘**

“Seems like she wants to meet up. ”

“Obviously, just read it. ”

“Well, let’s go on then!”

“Hey!”

He grabbed my forearm and dragged me down the hallway past other students.

“We don’t want to keep Mirella waiting!”

I groaned, still being dragged by the boy down the hallways and to the school’s backyard.

* * *

“Hey! There they are!” Hearing Diana’s voice again.

Still dragging me once we were outside of school, other students were there on the grass, near the walls of the school, or walking around minding their businesses with each other.

Diana waved us over, her light brown skin glistening from the sun.

Once we’ve reached the two girls, Fabricio let go of my arm.

“Drag me again and I’ll literally _drag_ you the next time. ” I threatened him, dusting the invisible dust off my sleeve.

“Nita!”

Both girls decided to jump and hug me, almost making me fall flat on my ass.

“I’m glad you got the text! I hope you would come, didn’t expect you and Fabricio were together. ” Mirella said, holding my hands in hers.

“We had the same class. ” I bluntly put it, taking my hand out of hers and holding onto our school bags.

“Um, ” Fabricio, watching in the background, spoke, “was there something important you needed to tell us, Mirella? You said ‘ASAP’ in your text, ” he pointed to his phone showing the single message, “you use it when it’s an emergency. ”

She chuckled unsteadily, and fiddles with her fingers. “Actually, false alarm, I just needed you two to come here as fast as possible. ”

I crossed my arms. “Either way, I would’ve taken my sweet ass time to get here whether you like it or not. ”

Diana slid casually beside me. “And now that you’re here, ” she then started to whisper, “we’re actually going somewhere. ”

“Outside the school?”

She nodded. “Mmhm. ”

I looked at Mirella for confirmation. “You can do that? Anytime?”

“Only during lunch, or study hall. ”

I glanced back at Diana. “And we’re going somewhere?”

“Duh! The antique shop we’ve mentioned yesterday. ”

“And we have an hour to hang!” Mirella intervenes, hooking her arms to mine.

“Come on Fabricio!”

Diana grabbed the boy and linked her arms with his.

“And it’s really not that far from the school, it’s like a ten, fifteen-minute walk. ” Mirella said as we all started to walk towards an opening where the parking lot could be seen.

The conversation continued on and on from out of the school.

_Huh, y’ know, I wonder who works at this antique shop, some creepy old voodoo man?_

* * *

I found myself standing in front of a small shop in the streets of Peru.

“We’re here!” Diana exclaimed.

I examined the building.

It looked old, the shop looked rather messy, not expecting it to be since it’s an antique, a place where old things could be found in many dark corners.

The sign of the shop read ‘ **Antique Shop** ’ but it was a pawnshop. The sign looked as if it was about to fall since one side was slightly dipped and not aligned with the other side. The window cases displayed old victorian furniture and old-fashioned dresses and tiny glass creepy baby dolls.

What I noticed the most is that there are a few coffins placed against the buildings, curiously wondering if there is anything in them.

“Yo! Adair! You in there?!”

Diana abruptly banged on the door of the small shop, shouting through it.

“Come on! I know you’re there, you dark-humored weirdo!”

She continues to bang on the door, shouting to whoever was on the other side of it.

She almost knocked down the sign that read **‘CLOSED’** and the sign in the door that had a few words painted on it.

**‘Sell your souls here! We pay better than the Devil and have a faster payment plan than God!’**

_Well, at least they’re not Devil worshippers. Nice sense of humor._

“A very interesting taste in humor. ” I said to Fabricio.

He sweatdrop. “You have no idea. ”

“Um, Diana, ” Mirella tapped on their shoulder and grudgingly whisper to the girl, “don’t forget the key. ”

“Oh! Right! I’ve had it for nearly a week, always forget I have one. ”

Before she could reach for the kept to the shop, the door opened instantly, seeing the familiar face of—

“Kovit?!” Diana called out of shock.

Seeing the dark-haired man leaning against the doorway.

“Took you guys long enough. ”

“Since when did you get here?” Mirella asked, accusingly pointing at him.

“Family business, now are you coming in or what?” he asked nonchalantly.

Feeling the cold wind from the shop itself brushed against my skin making the tiny hairs stand up and goosebumps crawling down my arm.

The ominous darkness stood quietly behind Kovit as the girls started to bomb him with questions unnecessarily.

“Aye ye ye. ” Fabricio muttered, shaking his head at the girls. 

“Uh, hello?” 

They both stop questioning Kovit and turn to me, gaining their attention immediately.

“Can we go in now, or are we going to stand here like a bunch of jackasses?”

Kovit smirked, pulling out his signature switchblade. “You heard her, maybe you two should stand here while we go in for god’s sake. ”

“Ugh!”

“So annoying!”

Fabricio and I walked past the fuming girls and into the mysterious, dark shop with Kovit.

* * *

“Huh? Not disappointing. ”

I looked around the shop as the others made themselves at home.

The inside of the shop was messy, dusty, and old.

Just the way I like it.

There was a bunch of beaten up furniture and junk and other things I can’t make out in one side of the shop.

I walked towards the small cashier area, seeing that it hasn’t been cleaned or dusted in months I assume.

“He who owns this shop isn’t here at the moment, ” Kovit spoke beside me, hopping onto the island, “he’s downstairs in the basement doing some business. ”

“And so he kept you in charge?”

“Eh, I’m just here to pick up something for Reyes’. ”

I raised an eyebrow. “Which is?”

He grinned. “Something useful. ” 

I rolled my eyes, knowing he isn’t going to tell me anything.

“Adair!” Diana opened a door in the far corner, and as soon as she opened it, I heard the sound of water lightly splashing against each other. “You down there?”

“Hey, ” Kovit lowered himself to whisper in my ear, “if he asks you if you wanna go in the basement, just leave. ”

“What’s in the basement?”

“You don’t wanna know what’s in the basement. ”

“I wanna know what’s in the basement. ”

“Believe me, you don’t wanna know what’s in the basement. ”

“Do you know what’s in the basement?”

“I have a hunch but, no, I don’t know what’s in the basement. ”

“Then what the hell, let me go into the basement. ”

“Yes, Kovit, let her go into the basement~”

“Yeah, what this weirdo sa. . .”

We both turned around noticing a young man standing with his elbows on the island and his chin in his palms with an amused look on his face.

“My, my~”

Back and forth, he looked at me and Kovit.

“Adair!” He was then hit on the head by Diana. “There you are! Were you down in the basement?”

“Am I not allowed to go in the basement?” I asked Kovit.

Kovit, who slightly shivered in pleasure from the small hit, “No, just no, don’t. ”

“Geez Diana, ” Adair nursed his head, rubbing it as he childishly glared at Diana, “why did you have to hit me with your big man hands?”

She scoffed. “Rude, at least I have the strength of a man, noddle arms. ”

“Nita?” Fabricio came up beside me and gestured towards the young man in the victorian outfit. “This is Adair, the owner of the shop. ”

“Hm, is this the girl you all have been gushing over?” He asked as he took a closer look up in my face. 

“Yep!” Mirella once again hooked her arm with mines. 

“And she wanted to come here?”

“Mmhm!”

“In a creepy pawnshop. ”

“Yep!”

“Meeting a complete stranger?”

“Can I not visit the basement?”

Kovit, -_-, “No, Nita. ”

“Didn’t I say we were bringing someone here yesterday?” Diana once again hit the man. “Weren’t you listening?!”

“Ow- _wah_! I thought you meant a dead body!”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing a dead body. ”

A flash of surprise and amusement glinted in the man’s yellow murky color eyes.

“Oh, really, ” he grinned at me, showing off his white, large shark-like teeth, “then would you like to go into the basement—”

Diana, -∆-, “No one will go or be brought into the basement and that, is, _final_!”

She stared intensely at the yelled eyes man. “And I mean no one, _Adair_. ”

He rolled his eyes and pouted. “I never get to bring people to the basement. ”

His mood quickly changes, inhaling, and exhaling before smiling at me. “As you may have already known, my name’s Adair, the owner of this antique shop. ”

He put his hand out for me to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Nita, is it?”

I grimaced from the creepy, wide, shark tooth smile he showcased.

_It kinda reminds me of that cat from wonderland, that cat was weird as fuck, never thought they had a term for a smile like that._

“Yeah, ” I took his cold, slightly damp, hand in mine and matched with a snake-like grin as of mother, “nice to meet you, **Adair**. ”

He flinched from the suddenly tone in my voice, but kept his smile and posture intact.

_“Always put the fear in those you meet, ” mother says._

_Never thought I be taking her advice at a time like this, hm._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😅 Sorry if I kept you guys waiting. I wasn’t sure whether or not if I should portray Adair as the dark-humored, comic relief type of character for this chapter. . .so why not both! Not sure if the introduction was the best or the dialogue behind it, but at least I was able to get this one out on time! 😆
> 
> I hoped you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 😏 I sure hella did! 🦃


	11. Authors Note (I AM NOT DISCONTINUING, DON’T WORRY)

Hey guys! Sorry that I went MIA on you all.

I am still alive and not dead.

And don't worry, like the title said, I am not discontinuing the book but making some major changes into the story.

Not sure how major but like. . .major. Idk.

Again sorry for not working on my works lately, life has been pretty cruel but at least we have a new president, no offense for those who supports Trump.

This is probably the second time I had to change this story.

One because it wouldn't post for some reason and had to delete it. I didn't go that far into the story anyway.

I was reading a few other fanfics and watching some very good shows and thought about some things that I really liked about them, like their character development and the plot, for instance.

I had to think things through for awhile.

In all honesty, I didn’t want this to be a highschool AU since I couldn't think of any other universe that I think will fit this type of fanfic.

I was honestly thinking about the nick show Victorious and thought why not.

But I don't know how to make any highschool shenanigans like the crew did in the show, except for the breakfast club episode, one of my favorites.

At the moment, I'm not sure what to do with this now, as you can see I am also working on another fanfic story which I am having writer blocks on btw.

So I think that's all I have to say except. . .

I will continue this book, probably not like this and I apologise for those who liked this version.

Not entirely sure if I want to change it or not. I probably have to make a draft and see which one works better.

I will keep this work up until I do so others can enjoy how far I gone with this version.

I think that's it.

So, have a good day/night and I'll see you soon!

Bye!


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